Power of Darkness
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: AU. A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be? Kai, Tyson, Hilary, Tala, Mariam, Robert, Mariah, Max and Mystel as main characters. DarkFantasy.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**.**

**Prologue**

"Line up the men on the wall, we can't let these them pass!" Commander Robert ordered, pointing up at the huge thirty foot stone wall. The wall towered above them, casting a long black shadow which covered the kingdom. For most of the day, the city folk lived in shadow in amongst the foot of two mountains. Only in the later hours of the day would they feel the rays of the sun as it crossed to the opposite side, but it was short lived. It was always cold here.

Soldiers dressed in thick leather hide made from the skins of animals, with long swords hanging at their sides and bows on their backs, hurried towards the steps. In orderly fashion, they climbed up the stone steps and took their places on the wall and readied their bows for the first wave of invaders.

"Commander, they approach the walls!"

Robert withdrew his sword, and rushed up the stairs, his long grey hooded cloak flapping in the wind behind him. The symbol of a red eagle was stitched onto the back its wings outspread to either side, with its head facing the left. It was the symbol of bravery and inspired men to remain strong throughout battle. Only the men of Aduri could face the terrors in front of the wall.

Robert joined his men on the ledge and squeezed in between two men to observe the battlefield. There was a sea of men dressed in black leather charging towards them shields held up high in the air to protect from a rain of arrows. But they were the least of Robert's concerns. At the back he spotted fifteen eleven foot humanoid creatures, with ashen white bodies and no faces. Each humanoid carried a Morningstar in the left, and a shield in the other. A crown of thorns sat atop each of their heads, the branches dyed red. They were called the Faceless; hairless creatures spawned of dark magic by using the bodies of the dead and combining several as one. The disciple had full control over them, directing their attack as the creatures themselves could not see.

And at the very back of the army stood a man dressed in a red cloak. He wielded a quarterstaff in his right hand, while his left remained clasped in the air. His face was hidden, but Robert knew who this man was. He was one of the few disciples of the High Priest Voltaire blessed with control over the dead. He could not kill on command, but he had other abilities to take advantage of. Dead men could be resurrected to fight for him betraying their former leaders or their bodies used to create the Faceless.

Men on the wall drew out their bows and loaded their arrows. Robert lifted up a hand. "Hold your fire!" A man from a kingdom other than Aduri would release his arrow, but the men of Aduri knew to trust in their commander. Robert was a seasoned warrior, a descendant of the Jurgen bloodline. His great grandfather was responsible for building the wall stopping necromancers from crossing the border. The wall was the only way to pass through to the lands of the Gods for the mountain ranges stretched from one side of the continent to the other. If the wall fell, all would be lost. Foul creatures of darkness would pour into the free lands and devour all that is good and pure, leaving only a trail of destruction behind. Not even the Gods could save them for they were trapped within the highest mountain peak, Dojim.

How the Gods were trapped was a mystery. The Gods were said to be super powerful immortal beings capable of tearing a continent a part with just the click of a finger. It didn't make sense they were trapped within a mountain. Devout followers of the Gods believed the mountain was a cage, created by the magic of the Priests' Circle to stop them from interfering with the plans of humans. Others denied the existence of the Gods claiming it was a man-made object invented to invoke fear into mortals. Whether the Gods truly existed or not, even the greatest minds of the city Khakpour were left bewildered and confused. But despite the differences in faith, all seven kingdoms agreed on one thing – whatever hid within the mountain was worth exploring.

He pushed his thoughts aside and focused his attention on the battle ahead. The enemies, from the city of lost souls, Jabaq, charged towards the giant wall. Frenzied battle cries erupted from the men. Robert brought his hand down, "Fire!" he roared.

A rain of arrows poured down below striking men and ending lives. But not all were struck down. Men carrying shields defended themselves from the arrows and continued to run, as more arrows flew down below. The monstrous Faceless walked slowly, taking one large stride at a time but mere arrows did them no little harm. The red robed disciple slammed his stick to the ground causing the earth to shake. Ladders erupted from the ground at the foot of the wall reaching to the top allowing the men to climb.

"Take down the ladders!" Robert shouted. He rushed at one of the ladders and kicked it down, watching it topple over flattening several groups of soldiers.

"Commander!" said Enrique, "look!" He lifted a hand and pointed to the sky. A large scaled creature with shadow wings hovered in the sky, its long scaled tail moving from side to side. It opened its mouth revealing two rows of sharp dagger length teeth, a forked tongue resting within. "It's a shadow beast!" he cried.

Robert glanced at the opening between the two mountains and spotted the creature. It was a fearsome monster that made its home within the mountains, attacking all that dared to disturb its environment. Robert and his men had faced only ten of these creatures in a lifetime and only one was killed, the others were only wounded and sought refuge back within the valley to recover.

"Enrique, look after the eastern wall, we can't afford to have any of these men reach the top," Robert ordered. The man was a good two years younger than him having only reached the age of eighteen three days ago. He was tall for his age, reaching a height of five foot eleven. Only Robert was taller by two inches. He still had the look of youth; messy blond hair, baby blue eyes shining with mirth and a flirtatious grin, but when it came to battle he fought like a man possessed. His hands had dealt killing blows to opponents twice his age. Enrique nodded and hurried down to the eastern side of the wall.

The shadow beast dove to the ground, bending its wings back as it dropped like a tonne of bricks. It stopped metres away from the sand, breathing a cloud of acid into the faces of men. Flapping its wings, it gained altitude and prepared to attack again. Robert reached his right hand over his back, grabbing his bow and arrow. He had been the only man in recent times to kill a shadow beast. His father had been the first. It took great concentration and accuracy to kill such a beast.

"Robert, the beast it's helping us fight," Johnny said, letting his double sided axe drop to his right side. The blades were red covered in blood.

Robert looked at his companion. Like Enrique, the man was young also eighteen, but he too was a great fighter. It was often said he lost himself in battle, throwing himself at enemies sometimes with no weapon in hand. "That beast will turn on us too; you know that as well as I do Johnny. Where is your dagger? I have need of it."

Johnny dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out a curved copper dagger. He gave it to Robert, hard eyes gazing up at the man. "You're going to slay the dragon?"

Robert nodded, and took the dagger from Johnny after placing his bow on the ground. "Grab one of my arrows and hold it out low." Johnny nodded and followed Robert's orders, holding the arrow at level to Robert's waist. Pushing back his cloak, Robert stretched out his arm above the arrow and brought the edge of the blade against his skin. He cut deep and let the blood drop onto the arrow.

He lifted the composite bow and aimed it towards the creature, loading the arrow into its position. He placed his fingers on the piece of string and drew it back. Shadow beasts could only be killed with a certain arrow; one covered in the blood of a pure man. The wings were its weak spot. The shadow beast was oblivious to Robert, its attention focused on the men from Jabaq. Robert released his hold and the arrow hurtled through the air striking the creature in its left wing. The beast screamed, a high pitched raspy screech that made a man's flesh crawl. It dropped to the ground and lay there.

"Good aim Robert," Johnny smirked.

Robert lowered his bow and returned it. "The battle is only just beginning Johnny. We can't hold this wall forever, we need further help." Men around him swung their blades fighting off invaders as they climbed up the ladders.

Johnny ducked, narrowly missing the edge of a blade. "What do you propose we do? We can't flee."

Robert shook his head. "I do not plan to flee; I intend to send a messenger away to the city of Khakpour alerting them of the danger. If the wall falls they need to be ready for battle. The more time they have to prepare the better." He grabbed Johnny's arm and brought him away from the wall's edge. "I fear we do not have much more time left. Jabaq's forces strengthen with each passing day, it is only luck that has kept us alive this long."

"Who shall act as a messenger? You can't afford to send away your soldiers."

"I will send the fool, Tyson. He has a daft mind, but a strong and noble heart."

Johnny shook his head. "That boy will be the death of us all! He does not know his left from his right."

Robert silenced Johnny with a glare. "He might be slow, but I believe he can do the job. I will give him simple instructions and a horse. Take this and bring it to him, tell him he must ride as soon as night falls." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of papyrus paper rolled up, held together by a thin string of rope. He gave it to Johnny. "Tyson will be in his quarters."

"In his quarters? Why is he hiding when he should be out here fighting?" Johnny said, arching a brow.

"You know Tyson cannot hold a sword without tripping over his own two feet. No, he would cause us a lot of trouble out in the open battlefield; it is much safer for us all if he remains within his quarters," Robert said, pointing to a small stone building in the far distance. "Go to him now." Johnny nodded. He took the piece of paper and hurried down the stairs.

With Johnny gone, Robert turned his attention back to the battle at hand. More ladders had fallen lessening the amount of men climbing up onto the wall. Still, some had reached the top. Drawing out his sword, Robert rushed forward and drove his blade through the forehead of a dark skinned soldier. He pulled out his blade and threw his body over the wall's edge.

The battle continued all around him. Men screaming curses at each other, the sounds of swords clashing and the cries of the wounded and dying played in his mind... and a horn blowing. It was a deep sound that echoed throughout the mountains. "Commander, they are retreating! The battle is won!"

Robert stopped. He had heard the sounds of a horn blowing; the sound of retreat. But why? It seemed random; they had the advantage. If they continued their attack the walls would be covered in enemy soldiers. But the enemy troops stopped their attacks and climbed down the ladders, to retreat back to their leader. Even the monstrous Faceless stopped. Luck was on their side again.

But he knew this was just another small victory that would not last. Jabaq would send out another force; perhaps this was their plan? To attack, retreat and attack again later in the day, making Aduri's men tired and less alert. Robert prepared to make his way down the wall when a group of three soldiers approached him.

"We've caught one of the soldiers from Jabaq on the eastern wall. He slaughtered four of our men. Shall we kill him?" Oliver asked, a petite man with pasty white skin. Two other men accompanied him, one of them being Enrique. In between them a blond tanned male sat on his knees, hands tied together behind his back by a thick rope. Robert noticed a deep gash trailing down his left arm, but the prisoner didn't seem too concerned about the wound at all.

Robert looked at his elite guard then looked down at the prisoner. Like all men from Jabaq, he was dressed in simple white linen cloths, except this particular prisoner's cloths were stained red; most likely as a result of battle. And like all men from Jabaq he had a symbol engraved in his upper left arm. It was a scythe, one of the many symbols of death. On both his wrists, he wore golden plated bracers. They signalled to Robert he was not just a common soldier of Jabaq, but had greater skills that would please any rich merchant looking for a protector. "He fought hard, but we eventually beat him down," Enrique said.

The prisoner spat a gob of blood at Enrique's feet, then grinned, "You're a lousy fighter," he said, sea blue eyes fixed on Enrique's face looking amused.

Enrique glared, curling his fingers around the hilt of his sword. "A lousy fighter? I overpowered you."

"You fight like a girl," the prisoner added, still grinning. Enrique growled, aiming a kick at the prisoner's ribs bowling him over to the side. All humour faded from his eyes and tone as he struggled to sit back up. "That's the problem with you people; you have no sense of humour. I guess living within the shadow of the mountains makes you a miserable lot." He managed to sit upright then looked at Robert. "Ah, you must be the great Robert. I've heard a lot about your _heroic_ deeds," he added.

"What is your name?" Robert asked.

"Mystel."

Robert knew the name, but hadn't seen him before. Yet his reputation preceded him; he was part of the inner circle of sell swords of Jabaq, hired mercenaries with uncanny skill with a blade. His attitude confirmed it; downright careless to the core with no sense of morality. They relished in the art of killing, taking sheer pleasure in watching others suffer. Killing was a sport; it was rumoured they often competed in amongst each other to see how many people they could kill in a day. In Robert's eyes they were filth; walking pieces of corrupted humanity blessed with superior swordplay skills. Robert's eyes met Oliver's. "I want you to take him down to the dungeons; I will speak with him later."

"You're not going to stand around and chat, but I was only just getting started. Ah well, I suppose we'll have a bit to talk about later then, perhaps over a warm campfire with a cup of ale and a wench?" Robert didn't reply. Mystel forced a sigh. "No? That's a shame. Nothing tastes sweeter than drinking from a wench's cup." He laughed at his own comment, before he was dragged away by Oliver and Enrique.

Robert sighed.

His troubles were only just beginning.

.

Short opening, but this is just the prologue. I do hope that was visual enough for you to see happening. Chapters from here on will be not be exceeding 4000 words. The next few chapters will focus on each of the main characters; Kai will be next followed by Hilary.

Oh, and check out the song, "As Wings Blot Out the Sun" by City of the Fallen. It inspired me to write this chapter helping me set the atmosphere and all. As always, reviews much appreciated!


	2. A Strange Gift

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within not even the High Priests know. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery as war breaks out across the country.

**Special Thanks**

Indigo-Oblivion, kaihil lover and Spinster-Magic95 for reviewing the opener. Enjoy this one! The song for this chapter is 'Marco Polo' by Loreena McKinnett, very Middle Eastern.

**.**

**Chapter One: A Strange Gift**

_Kai_

The fresh smell of herbs filled his nostrils, as he walked through the crowded streets of Madari bypassing stalls, bumping into random locals as he tried to navigate his way around. Some locals snapped at him, but softened their eyes when they realized who he was; Kai Hiwatari, the grandson of the High Priest Voltaire. But he was not like his grandfather in all; in fact, the only thing they had in common was their last name.

Voltaire was a hard man; he never smiled, nor did he laugh. Sometimes it became a game, who could make the High Priest laugh, but no one succeeded. It was rumoured Voltaire did not know how to smile and laugh or he was too old to enjoy the lives of youth. Not even Kai could stir a chuckle out of him. Kai suspected his job drained him of humour. What his exact duties involved, Kai didn't know but it must have kept Voltaire busy because he never left the temple. Kai was forbidden to see him on a normal day; only priests could visit. But becoming a priest was not high on his priority list, so he visited his grandfather on special occasions, namely birthdays and religious festivals.

Instead of healing wounds, he preferred to inflict them. Diplomatic skills were of no use to him, he'd solve situations with his sword. If no conclusion came to be, Kai would kill the bastard or let him rot at the humiliation post. Once the bastard was dead, Kai would take the body and bring it to the great barrier at the foot of mount Dojim. It was an invisible barrier and no mortal, priest or non priest, could pass through. It was a mystery; not even his grandfather knew why there was a barrier.

Did the Gods reside within the mountain as the faithful believed, or was it something else? Kai was almost certain there was something living in the mountain. Every time he offered a bastard, he'd place the body at the barrier then leave only to return the next day. And every time the body would be gone. Some_thing_ was accepting his offers.

But today he wasn't going to be concerned by issues of faith; it was his birthday today, eighteenth to be precise. He was finally considered a man by Madari law and it meant he could leave the city walls and explore the outside world now something he was eager to do.

"Kai you finally made it!" Tala exclaimed, slapping Kai on the back.

Kai pushed through more people until he reached his friend, a young man of eighteen with bright red hair that was shaped like horns. He was difficult to miss even in a mass crowd. "I thought you might be at the temple," Kai said, a stern look on his face.

"I think the tavern is more my place, but I hear birthday boy's are meant to spend their day with the nurses," Tala replied. "Besides, why would I be at the temple? I'm not a prude."

The stern look on Kai's face morphed into a grin. "Sorry to disappoint you Tala, but I'd rather be down at the tavern to. I've got to keep an eye on you, remember what happened last time?"

Tala rolled his bright blue eyes. "Yes... I remember. I fell to the floor in a vomiting heap and you jumped up on the table and made jokes about me, while I made a mess of myself. I couldn't enter the tavern for a week."

"Spencer was pretty mad."

"If _you_ had been a good friend, _you_ would've brought me outside."

"But it's funny watching you drunk. You can't keep your drink down well at all."

Tala rolled his eyes again. "I'm sure it was amusing for you and that git Bryan. Besides, you're leaving out the best part."

"And what's that?" Kai asked curtly.

Tala grinned. "Hilary entered the tavern and slapped you across the face and called you a jerk."

Shrugging in response, Kai dug his hands into his pockets then spoke, "She's a healer. Healers have no sense of fun." Hilary was the head healer at the Temple of Healing and known for her amazing abilities. While most healers could fix lesser ailments, Hilary could cure paralysis and blood clots with just a tear drop. She was well-respected by the majority, but also feared by some. Some believed she was blessed by the Gods themselves, whilst non-believers thought she used some dark magic to heal. "I don't know why she was in the tavern in the first place."

"She's a healer, remember? Not a priest Kai. I'm sure she visited the tavern to have a drink like the rest of us." Kai muttered in response. "So birthday boy, what are your plans today?" Tala asked, snapping Kai out of his thoughts.

Thinking of Hilary made him want to visit the temple, just so he could make fun of her. Making her turn bright red in the face was a hobby for him. For a healer, she had quite the temper when provoked. "I want to go to the Temple of Healing, tease the nurses or something," Kai said, smirking. "I wonder how long it'll take for her to erupt this time."

"You know, I was just joking about birthday boy's having to spend time at the temple," Tala said quickly, giving Kai a raised eyebrow. "Wait... you want to see her don't you? Are you in love with her?" he questioned, corners of his mouth curving upwards into a knowing smirk.

"In love with Hilary? Of course not!" Kai said, eyes narrowing. Hilary was full of self-righteousness that him feel sick to the stomach. All the bastards he tried to hurt, she healed and the cycle would repeat unless he killed them first. At least she couldn't raise the dead. "I'd have her removed from the temple, but Voltaire seems to think she has her uses."

Kai looked towards the mountain Dojim, its giant shape casting a shadow over half of the city. One half lived in the darkness, the other half in the sunlight. In amongst the various stalls and small buildings, there were three temples that were built before the mountain in triangle formation. The Temple of the Gods was situated in the middle, marked by white and black banners placed on the rooftop. Two statues of golden plated men stood at either end of the temple meant to represent the Gods in mortal form. The Temple of the Gods was open to the public all day allowing people to make offerings and altars to pray at.

The Temple of Healing was on the left of the Temple of the Gods. Unlike the latter, there were no banners. Their services were open to anyone; murderers, rapists, thieves... the Gods did not discriminate. Men and women from all kingdoms came to Madari to be treated. On the far right was the Temple of the Priests, marked by yellow banners. Only members of the priesthood could enter this temple. They would spend all day and all night within the walls carrying out priestly duties whatever they were.

"Well, we better get a move on then, don't want to be standing here all day," Tala said. Kai nodded and led the way towards the Temple of Healing, his heels kicking up grains of sand behind him with each step. Nearing the temple, the thick crowd of people seemed to lessen making the trip less exhausting. Kai liked crowds; it made stealing from people's pockets much easier. A large robust man with a thick moustache walked past, his pockets open for the taking. Kai walked close to the man and sunk his hand into the pocket without touching the man's side, and pulled out a couple of gold coins.

The man continued to walk by oblivious to the fact he was a few coins lighter. Kai snickered to himself and pocketed the coins, then turned to Tala. His friend wore a disproving look, before breaking out into a fit of raucous laughter. "You're playing a dangerous game Kai, someday you'll be caught."

Kai shrugged. "What are they going to do? Beat me up? I'd like to see them try," he said, fingering the blade at his side.

"I'm surprised Voltaire doesn't know about your random killing sprees."

"He never leaves the temple, how would he know?"

"Fair point, but wouldn't the so-called Gods tell him?"

That was a good point, but Kai didn't think the Gods cared. "I doubt they'd care, maybe they think I'm doing a service for them?" Tala didn't reply.

The boys continued walking towards the cobblestone path towards the temple, when a man dressed in black robes approached them. There were tears in his cloth and dirt stains all over. The man hobbled over carrying a small wooden box in his hands. "Kai, I have a gift for you," the man said, his hooded face looking down at the sand.

Kai glanced at Tala. Tala shrugged. "Um, who are you?" Kai asked looking back at the strange man.

"Brooklyn. I wish to give you this for your eighteenth birthday." He pushed the box towards Kai.

"What's inside it?" Kai asked, glancing down at the box in the man's hands.

"An amulet."

Kai snorted and pushed the box away. "Keep it; I do not want gifts from a stranger." Never trust a man whose face you couldn't see, his grandfather had always told him. The man did not budge; he pushed the box back to Kai. "Look, I told you I do not want it," he snapped.

"I think you should take it Kai, you can always sell it for some coin later on," said Tala.

Kai knew what thoughts were running through Tala's mind; he was hoping to get his hands on some profit. He heaved a sigh and took the box from the persistent man's hands. "I accept your gift Brooklyn." Brooklyn nodded, said his farewells and limped away.

"What a strange man," said Tala watching Brooklyn's retreating form until he faded from sight. He turned to Kai then glanced down at the box. "Open it. I want to see how much it'll be worth."

Placing his hands on the lid, Kai opened it and looked inside. A phoenix-shaped amulet made of a ceramic composed of crushed quarts with small amounts of lime and plant ash rested inside, sitting atop of a piece of linen cloth. Bright blue-green vitreous-alkaline glaze coated the amulet giving it its colour. There was a small hole at the top for string to go through. "Nice," Kai said, reaching down with a hand to pick it up. A sharp jolt ran through his arm. He dropped it back in the box, jerking his hand back.

"Scared of an amulet Kai?" Tala teased. "I wonder where that man found this? Doesn't look like any of the other ones around here."

That was true; the amulets available in Madari were simple things in the shape of scarabs. Whoever made this amulet obviously took great care and pride in his work. But why would they give it away for free? "I wonder why he was giving it away for free?" Kai asked.

"Who cares? It's a free gift, it's not like it's cursed anything."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Well, if you're so worried, I'll put it on."

Kai knew it was just an excuse to try the amulet on, but he could see no harm. After all, it was just an amulet. He handed the precious object to Tala who grabbed it with eager hands. Untying the string, he placed it around his neck, and lifted the amulet into the sun, letting the rays reflect of the glossy surface. "How do I look?" Tala asked.

"Like a git," Kai replied, smirking. "Black just isn't your colour, it clashes with your choice of clothing," he added, pointing to Tala's white linen robes. Only priests wore such clothes; men dressed in simple leather hide while women wore dresses woven out of linen complete with a rope around the waist. Women also applied make up to enhance their physical appearance; this included lip gloss and eye makeup made out of various materials such as lead, malachite and sulphide. Both genders wore sandals made out of straw and reeds. Soldiers wore silver chainmail but only when they were on duty. Simple clothing, but fashion wasn't important. "Why do you wear priestly clothes anyway?" he asked, as Tala removed the amulet.

Tala handed the amulet back to Kai. "It's comfortable," he said, a soft smile on his face, "and besides, these aren't priest robes, I made them myself. The hemline doesn't reach the ground like priest robes do," he added, pointing to the hemline. It ended just an inch below his knees. "I feel like a drink; let's visit Rimala shall we?" Rimala was an extension of Madari, situated three miles away from the main gate. A path carved through the sand connected the two kingdoms together, guarded by soldiers from Rimala.

"But what about the temple?" Tala lifted a finger directing Kai towards the Temple of Healing where he spotted Brooklyn hobbling up towards the entrance. He was in no particular rush to meet with the man again. "Fine, we'll go back later," Kai added feeling somewhat disappointed. He would wait another day to tease the nurses.

.

Kai sat down and propped his right elbow on the round table, resting his chin on the back of his hand. Four other men sat with him, dressed in silver chainmail, their swords attached to their hips. "Have you heard the latest talk? They say one of those bastards from Jabaq is being held captive within Aduri!" Bryan said his grey eyes round with excitement.

"I heard Barthaz is leading an attack on Aduri again," Ian said, peering down at the silver goblet on the table. He reached a hand for it and brought the rim to his mouth, the surface of the goblet grazing his large nose. "I thought he was on our side?"

Tala shrugged, his eyes focused on the goblet. "Wasn't he cast out of the circle?" Ian placed the goblet down, and Tala grabbed it before anyone else could.

"Voltaire threw him out of the circle because Barthaz wanted all the power for himself," Kai said, frowning with disgust as Tala drunk from the one goblet. He didn't like drinking out of used goblets, but Tala and other men didn't seem to mind. "Barthaz was studying the forbidden art of necromancy and you know the policy. Only the Gods have the power over life and death, anyone changing the course of fate must be banished."

Tala placed the goblet down and pushed it to the centre. "But wouldn't that mean casting out healers? They stop death."

"In a sense they do, but they can't raise the dead. They only grant the victim a few more hours to live until their time has come. You shouldn't mess with what's already dead," said Bryan, grabbing the goblet. He arched his neck back, brought the rim to his lips and let the liquid pour down his throat until there was nothing left. "I think it was a good idea to cast out Barthaz, I never liked the git anyway," he said, flaring his nostrils. A bang of grey hair fell down in front of his light grey eyes, but he pushed it aside, scratching his bulbous nose in the process.

"Do you think the wall will hold?" Ian asked.

"No one knows," Kai said, pausing briefly, "but we have to trust Robert and his men will hold the wall. If it falls, Barthaz will enter our lands and seek what he believes is his. He wants to be the leader of the priests," he added, fingers curling into a fist.

"Even if the wall falls, Barthaz won't be able to hurt us, not against the whole circle of priests," Ian said, looking with hopeful eyes from Bryan, Kai then to Tala. "He's strong, but not that strong."

"He has the ability to raise the dead Ian, don't forget that. For every man we kill, Barthaz will raise him again," Kai explained. Ian's hopeful look faded and became a forlorn expression. "I'm surprised Robert and his men have held out for this long." His thoughts took him to the wall; a thirty foot stone structure built within the mountain ranges to protect the land of the Gods from the taint of Jabaq. He imagined a hundred men standing on the wall, bows at the ready as thousands of men and monstrous fiends charged towards them.

He wondered what that would be like, to face death every hour of the day. How could one sleep at night knowing they might die the following day? He considered himself a fighter and a brave one, but he couldn't face an army of such proportions. What happened when someone died? Did they join the Gods in Dojim? Or did they simply become part of the earth? "Kai, are you alright?" Bryan asked, waving his hand in front of Kai's face.

Kai jerked out of his trance. "Sorry, I was thinking."

"We were just thinking about the possibility we might have to defend our kingdom against Jabaq in the future," Bryan commented, a pensive look on his face.

Ian brought a hand to his mouth, gnawing on his nails. "But... but we'll get slaughtered alive! Have you seen the way they fight? It's like the sword is an extension of their bodies!"

Kai hadn't seen a soldier from Jabaq before, but he had heard stories from the messengers. Soldiers from Jabaq relished in the death of others, sometimes bathing in the blood of the victim. It was even believed they drank the blood of the dead to enhance their skills. He felt a shudder run down his spine. Just the mention of Jabaq was enough to make his blood run cold. "We aren't alone in this world, Ian." Those words brought little comfort to the young male.

"The other kingdoms do nothing!" Bryan said, eyes darkening. He clenched his fist and slammed it down on the table causing it to shake. "The leaders of Khakpour sit and wait hoping the Gods will intervene; Judy is more concerned about her son becoming a priest than the war behind the wall."

Tala leaned his body forward, speaking in a hushed tone, "We can't expect help from the wild mages of Qubo either; they form alliances with no one."

"There is Gabij," Ian said in a thin voice.

"Bah! They're a small city of fools!" Bryan said. His voice softened, but his gaze remained hard as he spoke again, "They would prefer to sit back and let the enemy plunder their buildings and ravage their women!" He grabbed the now empty goblet. "If the wall falls, only the priests of Madari and the soldiers of Rimala will rise." He wiped his mouth using his left back hand. "We are alone."

"If we could make the leaders open their eyes, then maybe..." Ian said in a meek voice.

"They're too bull-headed to pay attention to our words," Tala said, giving Ian a sympathetic look. The poor boy was shaking now, his deep brown eyes wide and alert. "I'm sorry Ian, but Bryan is right." He lifted a hand and patted the boy on the head, flatting his raven hair. "No one will come to our aid when the wall falls."

"_If _the wall falls," Kai corrected.

"You certainly are optimistic Kai," Bryan said.

"We have to have faith."

Bryan sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Faith in what? The Gods? The Priests? They do nothing! Do the Gods even exist?"

Ian gasped. "You speak of heresy!"

"I don't believe in symbols or statues, I believe in what's right before my eyes," Bryan said, lowering his voice. "If the Gods were real why do they not assist us? They are powerful; why don't they destroy Jabaq?"

"The Gods do not intervene in the lives of mortals," Ian retorted, biting his lower lip. "The High Priests represent the Gods and speak for them. Tell him Kai, your grandfather is a High Priest." Ian looked at Kai with hopeful eyes.

Kai found it difficult to find the right words to speak. He believed in _something, _but didn't think they would help. "I believe there is something else out there watching over us, but they're not here to help." If the Gods were within the mountain trapped, it was impossible they could assist the race of humans. A strong belief in the Gods wasn't going to help.

"I'm with Bryan," Tala said. "I don't believe in things my eyes can't see."

Silence fell between the group of four, each man lost in their own thoughts. It was Spencer, the barkeeper, who broke the silence. The tall muscular blond spoke with a gentle tone, surprising for a man of his size. "Stop scaring Ian, Bryan. He's just a young kid."

"I'm telling him the truth Spencer; my men in my command disbelieve in existence of the Gods as well." He placed his arms behind his head.

The blond giant shook his head. "Your men only believe in fighting, nothing else. I'm not surprised they do not have faith in anything else."

Bryan sighed rolling his eyes then leaned forward in his chair. "Whatever. I have to go – High Priest Boris wants us to check the new arrivals, see if they're worthy of being added to the militia." He stood up, dropping his hand to his sword at his side, "If they're not worthy... they die," he added, grinning. He strolled out of the tavern.

"I'm going to head back home and sleep," Kai said, rising from his seat. "I'll see you later Tala. Bye Ian." He said his goodbyes and headed out the door before his friends could ask questions. The truth was he wanted to examine the amulet in his private bed chambers. Something about the amulet intrigued him.

.

His fingers traced the surface of the amulet, his eyes drawn to the symbol. He could feel power within the amulet just from touching it. It pulsed beneath his fingers as if there was something inside it alive. He brought it closer to his face feeling inexplicably drawn to it. He attached the amulet to a thin piece of string and tied it around his neck, tucking his shirt underneath it so it could be seen. A sense of peace washed through him, calming his fears and pushing doubts away. He walked to his bed and laid down on it, resting his head on the pillow and closing his eyes. It didn't take long for sleep to take over.

"Kai."

He opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by thick grey fog. Just a dream, he thought, but it seemed real. His eyes searched the fog searching for the source of the sound, but the thickness restricted his view. He could barely see his own body. "Show yourself!" His hands dropped to his left thigh for his sword, but they found nothing.

"You do not need to fear me."

There it was again, the voice. It spoke in a rasp, its voice deep and authoritative. Kai couldn't tell whether it was male or female.

"Look up."

Kai looked up. A bird covered in black feathers from head to toe hovered above him, its eyes as dark as coal. Two long black tail feathers trailed from behind, moving slightly in the air. Upon closer examination Kai noticed its tail feathers were made of black fire. _All _its feathers were. Powerful talons clasped at the air, capable of snapping the bones of a human with little effort. Kai swallowed a mouthful of air. "Who are you?"

"I am the guardian within the amulet."

The amulet! Kai's hands immediately withdrew to his neck. The once cold surface beneath his fingers burned hot. He jerked his fingers back, a tinge of red appearing on his tips. "... but... how?" He wasn't scared; intrigued was the word to describe the emotion he was feeling.

The bird flapped its wings, showering Kai with black fire. Kai raised his arms to defend himself, but the flames did not touch his body. He lowered his hands and gazed up at the bird with awe. "I have been waiting for you for a very long time."

Now Kai felt confused. "What do you mean?"

"You have a role to play Kai."

Kai narrowed his eyes. "What role?"

The bird lowered its body to the ground and landed, but kept its flaming wings outstretched. "You can stop it." Embers swirled around the bird.

Curiosity surfaced within Kai. "Stop what?"

"You can stop what lies within the mountain."

"You know what's inside?"

The bird nodded. "It's fearsome."

Kai stepped closer. "What is it? The Gods?"

"I cannot tell you, the name should not be mentioned to a mortal's ears. If I tell you the name, your world will die." The flames on the bird seemed to darken. "But I can help you."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"You are my master, the holder of the amulet. I am sworn to obey my master and protect him from harm."

Kai glanced down at the amulet, his brows knotted in confusion. "How am I talking to you?"

"I am in your head. I can speak to you only when you're body is asleep, but the mind is awake."

Kai remembered he had been sleeping with the amulet on. "How can you help me? Can you stop the forces of Jabaq from tearing down the wall?"

"I will not fight your battles for you that is your task alone. There is a weapon that will help you defeat great armies with ease, but the road is perilous. You must retrieve this weapon or all is lost."

"What weapon?"

"The Black Blade."

.

That was fun to write! Who was that strange man? What is the Black Blade? Will the wall fall? Learn more in the next chapter which should be uploaded next weekend - I'm going to try and churn out a chapter every weekend from now on. As always, reviews much appreciated!


	3. What Lies Within

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

Indigo Oblivion, Omegaxis1 and kaihil lover for reviewing the previous chapter. Also, thanks to DGMSilverAirHead03 for reviewing the first chapter.

Just want to point out this is a pretty 'extreme' chapter. For those of you who read 'Master of Shadows' you will notice some similarities in this, but for those who didn't... proceed with caution. The latter half of this chapter contains some disturbing material. Song for this chapter is 'Sacra' by Apocalyptica.

**.**

**Chapter Two: What Lies Within**

_Hilary_**  
**

Hilary sat by the bed, her face hovering above the victim's body. The back of his head rested on a crescent-shaped headrest set on top of a short pillar on an oblong base while the rest of his body lay on a mat of woven cords. He was a young handsome man of around seventeen, his tan skin barely visible hidden by blood. Numerous cuts and bruises lined his body, and clumps of platinum blond hair had been removed. The man groaned and tried to lift a wounded arm, but the pain was unbearable. His face scrunched up and salty tears travelled down his bruised cheeks.

"There, there everything is going to be alright," Hilary said, placing a slender hand on the man's own. His fingers clasped around hers as if he found comfort holding them. Another pained groan escaped him, his dry lips parting slightly. Hilary brought a hand to his head and laid it against his forehead. He was burning up. "Kenny, fetch a towel and dunk it in some cold water," she ordered, looking up from the man.

Kenny, a short light brown haired male of fifteen years of age, nodded. He was dressed in a kilt made of fine linen and his sandals were made out of straw and reed. He vanished into another room to grab the necessary items. While Hilary waited for Kenny to return, she looked around the room to keep her mind at peace. The walls were covered with pictorial frescoes and carvings painted in brilliant colours. A scarab, a solar disk and a vulture were carved into the walls. Small papyrus plants in large pots lay in the corners of the room. She turned her attention away from the walls and examined the other pieces of furniture.

Four stools were positioned next to the beds, two on each side. Made from wood, the stools were low and square with the corners of the hair curved upwards to hold padded leather cushions. The legs of the stools were made in the same fashion as the legs of the beds. They were carved to look like animal legs. She pulled her eyes away from the walls and refocused her attention on the man. His name was Miguel, and he was the son of rapist. It was his mother who brought him here for Hilary to tend to her wounds. Every victim fascinated her; each one had a story to tell. "Kenny has just gone to get a cool towel," she said softly, peering down at the boy's face.

Miguel murmured in response. She felt sympathy for the man; what sort of abuse had he endured? Had his father raped him? Or had he beaten him up first? It was difficult to tell, and she didn't want to press for details yet. Besides, the boy could hardly form clear words. Kenny returned, holding two large medical kits in each hand. He placed the items down on the spare seat next to him. There were nineteen items: knives, a drill, a saw, pincers, censer, hooks, bags tied with string, beaked vessel, vase with burning incense, a beak of a falcon, scales, pot with flowers, pot on pedestal, papyrus scroll without side knot, sheers, spoons and a scrap of wet linen cloth.

The second medical kit consisted of herbal remedies specially selected by Kenny to treat cases of wounds. He opened the kit and pulled out colchicum to reduce swelling, frankincense to stop bleeding, honey to dress the wounds and turmeric to close open wounds. Garlic herbs were also inside the kit; it was commonly used to renew strength. Kenny applied the necessary herbs to ease Miguel's pain while Hilary grabbed the cloth and placed it gently on Miguel's forehead.

Miguel groaned at the cool touch, and tried to squirm but Hilary held him steady whispering words of comfort. Miguel's restlessness died down. "Poor guy, I hate to think how he received those wounds."

Kenny grabbed a stool and sat next to Hilary. "I've seen his father before he sells slaves in a village on the road to Khakpour."

Hilary's eyes darkened. "And the man still lives? Has no one bothered to punish him?"

"The guards say he is elusive."

"I will ask for Bryan and his men to track down this man and bring him before the Gods to face judgement."

"But the Gods do not listen to our prayers."

Hilary laid a gentle hand on Kenny's shoulder. "Our faith is not strong enough yet. When our faith is strong, the Gods will listen." She lifted a hand and pointed to an opening in the temple walls, where a ray of sunlight shone through into the room. "The Gods exist Kenny and they lie within the mountain." Some denied the existence of the Gods, but she firmly believed in them. She knew they were trapped.

Kenny looked at her with wide hopeful eyes. "I believe you Hilary, but my faith is not strong enough. How do I strengthen my faith?"

"I do not have answer; only the Gods will respond when they feel we have reached the top." Hilary drew her gaze away from the window and glanced back down at Miguel. Colour had returned to his face and his breathing had steadied. "He is recovering."

"How do you do that?" Kenny asked, looking at her with awe.

Hilary lifted a brow in a teasing manner. "You've worked with me for more than five years and you still do not know?"

"I mean, how does your healing ability work? It seems you only have to touch a patient and they begin to recover," Kenny pointed out.

Raising her hands to her neck, she peered down at the amulet resting on her chest. "This amulet helps me, every item I use to heal a patient works if I touch it," she said softly. It was a strange relationship. It seemed whatever power there was in the amulet flowed through her body granting her special power to perform miracles. The amulet was the shape of a bird, a phoenix to be precise. She could almost feel the heat of the fiery bird rush through her fingertips whenever she touched the surface. "I am grateful though, it has saved many lives when they would otherwise perish."

Miguel's eyes fluttered open. "Hil... Hilary..." he mumbled.

"You should be resting!" Hilary said, holding his hand.

"I feel... better..." he slurred.

She shook a finger in his face. "You might be in the process of healing now Miguel, but you shouldn't place extra stress on your body."Although she was gifted with healing power, she couldn't heal patients immediately. Wounds took time to heal. Fortunately, the amulet sped up the process and eliminated pain. "Just lie down, alright?" she said, a stern expression on her face.

Miguel nodded. "He... hurt me... beat me around the head..." he muttered, holding Hilary's hand. Bright blue eyes looked up at her, the hurt evident within them. She could almost feel his pain and see past hurts just by staring into those eyes.

"He's not here Miguel, we are here to protect you from harm," Hilary said softly. She gave Kenny a sideways look and spoke, "Can you please get an extra blanket?" Kenny nodded and hurried off to the other room returning within seconds with another blanket. He placed the cloth on the bed and stretched it up towards Miguel's chest.

Miguel grabbed it and brought the tip to his neck and clenched the sheets. "... beat me around the head with a goblet... then he... he did things to me... my mother... my mother stood and did nothing until it was over..." he mumbled.

Hilary reached a hand down to his forehead, and brushed stray bangs of blond hair away from his face. "Your mother brought you to the temple." She remembered it clearly – a petite woman with long golden locks of hair, sharp blue eyes and a button nose arrived at the temple entrance a week ago, pleading for her son be saved. She removed her hand from his face and let it drop by her side. Miguel closed his eyes and sighed with content. It didn't take long for sleep to dull his senses and put his mind at ease.

"We should let him rest," Hilary said, releasing her grip on Miguel's hand. She stood up from the side of his bed and walked to the centre of the temple, Kenny following right behind her. A man dressed in dark robes entered the temple, his face completely hidden by the hood. He hobbled towards Hilary. Hilary stood up from Miguel's side and looked at the man, uncertain of his intentions. It was always strange seeing a fully clothed person enter the temple. Was he ashamed of his wounds? "How can I help you?"

"You are the healer Hilary are you not?"

She nodded. "You are not from this city?" A silly question, she scolded herself. It was apparent he was not a local. His clothes were enough proof of that.

The man ignored her question. "I need to speak with you..."

"Who are you?" Kenny demanded, moving to stand at Hilary's side.

The man jerked his head in Kenny's direction. "My name is Brooklyn," he said in a slightly cheery tone.

Hilary's brows knotted in confusion. "I've never heard of that name here before." She knew everyone in the city. She believed knowing everyone's names helped build closer bonds with them.

"I'm not from this area... I came to give Kai a gift for his birthday," he answered, tone suddenly cold. The sudden change in tone suggested to Hilary this man could not be trusted.

She raised a brow. "Why would you give Kai a gift? How do you know him?" Kai was an utter bastard, the lowest of them all. He murdered people if luck was against him and stole items from those less fortunate than himself. And he didn't feel any remorse for his actions. Why would anyone want to give him a gift? The only 'gift' she would give him for his birthday was a slap in the face. "Kai doesn't deserve gifts."

Brooklyn pulled back his hood, revealing youthful features and sparkling blue eyes. Hilary was taken aback; this was not the face she had expected to see behind that hood. "Kai is known to me."

How he knew Kai was unknown to Hilary and the male didn't seem to intend giving her any answers. But Kai was well known in all surrounding kingdoms; he was after all the son of High Priest Voltaire. As famous as he was, she didn't understand why a random man would give a gift to that bastard? "And why would you give Kai a gift? What has he done to deserve one?"

"His existence alone is worthy of a gift."

A strange answer. It sent a chill down her spine. She was reminded of his hobbled walk before and wondered if he came for healing. "Have you any need of our services? We can tend to any wounds and illnesses you have." It was a true fact and well known throughout the lands. People travelled far and wide just to receive her healing.

Brooklyn's eyes fell down to the amulet around her neck. "I hear you have legendary healing powers," he commented, strolling towards her, his eyes never leaving her neck.

His former hobbled walk was no longer present. It dawned on Hilary it was just an act. Her stomach tightened, nerves beginning to develop. His words alone sent a cold shudder down her spine. She took a step back unsure. "What do you want?"

The man stepped closer, a chilling smirk on his pale features. "You have a unique gift."

In the corner of her eye, Hilary searched for a weapon. But she found nothing, other than the healer's kit. If he were to strike at her she would have nothing to defend herself with. Kenny was in the back corner of the room watching with fearful eyes. She swallowed, and took a deep breath. Now was a time to be strong. "If you want our services, all you have to do is ask."

The smirk widened. "That amulet you wear around your neck; where did you get that?"

Hilary's hands flew to the amulet around her neck, feeling the cold surface rub against her fingers. It had been a gift to her from Voltaire for her healing skills. Originally, it was meant for Kai but his grandson did not take the path as a healer instead choosing to be a soldier. So he gave her the gift believing the Gods wanted her to have it. It was called Dranzer, the Amulet of Healing. "It was a gift from the High Priest Voltaire."

His smirk faded. "It has great power. Do you know what it is capable of?"

Of course she knew. The amulet healed wounds and illnesses medicine couldn't. Without the amulet, her patients would die. "It has magical healing powers."

Brooklyn closed the gap by taking another step forward. "What you are doing is wrong."

Hilary stiffened, feeling her temper awaken. "You have come to the temple just to belittle my work? I am doing no wrong; I am saving the lives of people and giving them another day to spend with their loved ones. Tell me Brooklyn, what is so wrong about that?" she demanded, arching a brow in a mocking manner.

He shook his head. "You are interfering with fate. Everyone dies, but you are prolonging their life. A child molester comes to you for help, and you aid the man instead of condemning him to the hells where he belongs. Is that right?"

Hilary's burst of confidence diminished. "The Gods do not discriminate."

He rolled his eyes and flared his nostrils, "The Gods... the fool Gods... they're trapped within the mountain, do you think they care for the lives of mortal beings?" he demanded, eyes narrowing. A few beats of silence passed until he spoke again, softer this time, but the fire in his eyes remained, "but do they even exist? Who truly knows what lies within that mountain? Oh, the High Priests talk but they know just as much as you and I do."

"I have faith," Hilary replied, backing up into a corner.

"Faith won't save you girl." His eyes dropped to her neck again. "The amulet you have in your possession is destroying the balance of life. What is doomed to die, must die." He reached a hand into his robes and pulled out a long curved knife.

Hilary's eyes fell on the sharpened blade and she felt a familiar bubble of nerves rise up within her. Did he plan to kill her? Before she could speak, Kenny rushed to her aid. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her!" he said, glaring at Brooklyn.

"You think you can stop me?" Brooklyn demanded, turning the blade towards Kenny. "You have no idea of the power I possess."

"You'll have to get through me if you want Hilary!"

"That can be arranged..." Brooklyn sighed, raised his right hand towards Kenny and clenched his fingers. Kenny opened his mouth to scream, but only a harsh cough slipped through. His hands fell to his stomach, as his face paled at a dramatic rate. He stumbled forwards then dropped to his knees. Another cough escaped him. Patches of blood flew out and covered the floor.

"Kenny!" Hilary shouted. The poor boy squirmed, but Brooklyn held him in place. With a mighty shout, Brooklyn lifted Kenny up from the ground and flung him against the far wall. Kenny hit the wall with a sickening crack and landed on the floor in a motionless heap.

Hilary's scream echoed throughout the temple, but no one could hear her cries except for her patients. But none stirred – not one opened an eye to witness what happening. She wondered if he had somehow dulled their senses. Heart hammering in her chest, Hilary glanced at Kenny. The boy did not move. "Gods... no..." Her face paled. Kenny was alive... he had to be. If he died...

Brooklyn seemed to be able to read her thoughts. "Kenny's alive he's just been knocked out cold." he shrugged, glancing at the boy lying on the floor in a crumpled heap, "I wouldn't recommend moving. Stay where you are and this will be a less painful experience for you. If you try to attack me... well the consequences won't be that great," the corners of his mouth curved in a sinister smirk, "but I'll leave that up to your imagination."

She steadied her breathing as best as she could, averting her eyes from Kenny's body. At least the boy was alive and not dead. "What do you want from me?"

Brooklyn stepped even closer, so close she could feel his warm breath on her skin. With his right hand, he grabbed her arm, his grip unrelenting. His eyes bore into hers. A strange sudden coldness swept through her body. "You think you have control over life and death..." He placed his palm against her forehead. Weakness overcame her. Vision became blurred and her knees began to tremble. Sharp stabbing pain erupted in her forehead causing her to scream, but no sound would come out. The tip of the curved blade dug into her flesh causing the lining of skin to open. Blood dribbled out and onto her clothing dyeing it a dark shade of red. "I will give you complete control."

Her legs wobbled. "Please... stop..." she whimpered, growing weaker with each passing second. Her left hand reached out, grabbing for something to hold. Her fingers latched onto Brooklyn's robes as her knees buckled again. "...stop..." she pleaded, cringing as more pain seared through her body.

Brooklyn wrapped his sword arm around her slender waist and brought her face closer to him. He pulled away his right hand from her forehead, dropping it down to her chin tilting it upwards. "For every life you heal, another life ends. This is the price you pay for messing with the balance of life." He brought his lips to hers, pressing against them with full force. She moaned at his touch as her other hand gripped his clothing. Ice cold rushed down her spine. Something moved down her throat, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Moist lips left hers and she gasped for air. "...let me go... please..."

Brooklyn ran his hand through her hair and grabbed a handful jerking it roughly. "This isn't over until I say it is," he hissed, advancing towards her. "I want to pass onto you a gift."

She didn't want any gift from him. Adrenaline pumped through her veins giving her a burst of strength. She kicked out her leg, striking Brooklyn in the shin. Stumbling backwards, he cursed almost tripping over his robes. Unfortunately for Hilary, Brooklyn regathered his composure. He snapped his head in her direction, eyes blazing with dark fury. She had never seen a fire burn so cold. He clenched his fingers and Hilary felt her feet freeze in place. "No... no..." she said, struggling to free herself from invisible rope.

Tears streamed down her face. She tried to stop them, but found her attempts only made the tears fall harder. Strong hands pushed her on the ground, her head smacking the edge of the hardwood of the bed as she landed. Before she could attempt to escape, Brooklyn rolled her over on her stomach and straddled her. His hands disappeared underneath his robes for a few brief seconds until they rested on hers. With the knife in his hand, he tore at her clothing until there was little left remaining of the cloth. Discarding the cloth with his hands, he forced himself upon pushing his full weight down. She tried screaming, but once again no sound would come out.

"Kenny... Gods... someone..." she gasped, salty tears forming a small pool beneath her face.

Brooklyn drew his face down to her neck, biting at the flesh creating teeth marks. She quivered underneath his weight and sobbed some more. "Where are your Gods now fool girl?" he whispered. Hilary stretched out a trembling hand and tried to grab on the leg of the bed, but Brooklyn spotted her movement and acted. He grabbed her hair, lifted her head and slammed it down. A groan escaped Hilary as her body shuddered. "Stay still, it'll be less painful for you," he said through clenched teeth.

He thrust into her with such savagery Hilary felt an intense burst of pain erupt below. "Stop! Please... stop!" she begged, fingers scraping against the hard surface of the temple ground where small patches of bloody water lay around her. Tears continued to stream down her face, mixing with the blood. Another savage thrust caused a long awaited scream to erupt from her throat. He had no intention of stopping. A rush of coldness swept over her, as her body went limp in surrender. Brooklyn's moans filled the air as he continued to violently thrust.

Hilary turned her gaze forwards, peering ahead of her at the far end of the room as the pain reached its pinnacle. It was overwhelming, but there was nothing she could do. She was completely at his mercy and powerless to stop him. Fingernails pressed against the floor with such force, some of them snapped in half. Soon, the thrusting stopped and she felt Brooklyn exit from her. His breaths came in heavy pants as he picked himself up from her and zipped up his pants beneath his robes. "And now it lives inside you," Brooklyn said. "Remember... every life you save will end someone else's. Every death strengthens the creature within you. You'll serve me well my little pet," he said. Brooklyn pulled the hood over his head and exited the temple.

Hilary gasped, her lungs struggling for air. Hot flames licked her stomach from within, making her skin burn turning it red. Blood trailed down the sides of her legs as her body tried to cope with the intense pain. "...someone... help... Kenny... please... oh Gods..." An explosion of crippling pain burst inside her stomach. It was as if something was tearing at the flesh on the sides of her stomach, trying to tear them apart and break through. She tried to stand, but slipped in her own blood. Sobbing, she drew her knees up to her chest. Paralysing pain struck again.

Arching her neck back, she screamed with all the hurt she could muster until she could scream no more. It was then her mind slipped into a state of unconsciousness granting her brief respite from agony.

Somewhere within the darkness of the mountain, something stirred.

.

So the plot thickens. Kai has found Black Dranzer and Hilary has a demonic beast within her thanks to Brooklyn. But what does this have to do with the Gods? The next chapter will be about Mystel and it will be up next weekend (or maybe earlier if you're lucky). As always, reviews much appreciated!


	4. The Question of Loyalty

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

Indigo Oblivion, DGMSilverAirHead03, Omegaxis1 and kaihil lover for reviewing the previous chapter! Song for this chapter is 'Black Heart' by Immediate Music

**.**

**Chapter Three: The Question of Loyalty**

_Mystel_

He sat on the straw and reed dungeon floor, surrounded by decaying rats and marauding ants. The stench of piss and vomit also filled the air, but it didn't make him wince. Such smells were normal for him. In contrast to the dungeon cells in Jabaq, this place was hygienic. But it wasn't much of a dungeon; there were no cells at all. Instead of being locked behind caged bars, his captors tied him to the pole in the room. Thick rope was wrapped around his left wrist binding him to the pole.

Four days had passed since he was taken prisoner and four days had passed since he had a good meal. He was now on his fifth day, but food quality hadn't improved. Eating half-eaten bread and drinking small cups of water wasn't pleasant, but it was better than nothing. Food was brought to him every afternoon by a voluptuous maid with fair skin and piercing jade eyes. Often, he found himself attempting to start conversations with her but the female never said a word, only gave him a sharp look once she laid the food down before him. It was hard to find entertainment on this side of the wall.

While entertainment was sparse in Aduri, Jabaq was full of life especially for a sellsword. Entertainment activities involved bloody duels, drinking and having their way with any woman they chose. A city of the corrupt and vile Jabaq was said to be, but Mystel thought of it as the place of the free not bound to any law or code of morals. He longed to return home, but he knew that was a long way off in the future unless he somehow managed to convince a soldier to release him.

It wouldn't be an easy task; Robert had sent the best of his soldiers to guard him day and night. On the first night, Enrique had stood guard. On the second Oliver watched over him. On the third Enrique returned and Oliver took guardsmen duty again on the fourth. Both were foul company. Not once did either soldier speak to him. But today both soldiers were off guardsmen duty – a new soldier had taken their place much to Mystel's amusement. Perhaps he would make better company than the last even if the scowl on his face suggested otherwise.

"So, are we going to sit here in silence and stare at walls, or are you going to tell me what your name is?" Mystel asked, leaning against the cold surface of the limestone wall.

The soldier's back was turned to Mystel. "The name is Johnny," the man replied, arms crossed over his chest.

"Ah, you can speak. I was beginning to wonder if you were deaf," Mystel said, a smirk crossing his face. "I don't bite; you can talk to me."

Johnny turned around, his auburn brows knotted. "Do you always talk this much?"

Mystel shrugged. "I usually let my weapon do the talking, but... I'm unarmed as you can see. What better way to past the time than trading life stories? I've been sitting here for the past few days with nothing but dead rats and ants to keep me company. You can't imagine how overjoyed I am to have a conversation with someone."

"I should just wring your bloody neck and have your corpse thrown over the side of the wall." He spat at Mystel's feet. "Your kind are vermin, undeserving of life."

"Oh, and what makes you different? You kill, I kill. You protect your home, we protect ours. What makes you better than us?" Mystel asked, eyes narrowing.

Johnny took a step towards Mystel, a scowl on his face. "We're not cold blooded murders, we fight with honour."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Honour? Honour won't help you protect your beloved land. When we tear down the wall, honour won't save you." He sat back relaxing against the wall, a content expression on his face. "You'd be better serving Jabaq you know; a rugged man such as yourself... your skills are wasted here."

Johnny's eyebrow twitched. "I would never betray my people!"

Stretching out a hand, Mystel picked up a piece of straw and placed it in his mouth, gnawing on it. "You honestly believe you'll win this don't you?" He let out a gentle snort then wiped his nose with his free hand. "You've only seen little of what forces lay within the city of Jabaq." He cocked his head to the side waiting for the soldier to speak. "What? Is that too much of a complex thought for you to comprehend?"

Fingers curled into a fist. "The wall will never fall."

"You keep telling yourself that Johnny, but one day your commander will crack under the pressure and our forces will overwhelm yours. You have only men on your side – we have much more." His gaze darkened. "The other kingdoms sit back refusing to come to your aid and yet you believe you can win? Stupid fool," he sneered. A fist collided into the side of Mystel's jaw. He fell to his side thrown back by the blow, hurling a gob of saliva onto the floor. He wiped his mouth using the back palm of his hand. "Ah an act of violence against a helpless prisoner, not something your commander would appreciate."

"I'm not afraid to hit you again."

A knowing smile crossed Mystel's face. His words had struck a nerve. He suspected it wouldn't be difficult to persuade Johnny. "But you won't – something tells me you do not wish to anger your commander. Now he is a man of honour, guided by a strong moral compass to do what's right for the good of the world. You wish to be like him, don't you? You wonder what it would be like to have all the soldiers worship you and obey your every command right?"

"You know nothing!" Johnny hissed, striking at Mystel again, this time his foot connecting with the blond's stomach. "Robert is a great man and an inspiration to us all."

Mystel forced himself up then felt a trail of blood running down the right side of his mouth. He stuck out his tongue and lapped up the blood as if it were cool water. Johnny scrunched up his nose in disgust, giving the blond a disgruntled look. "Would you prefer for me to bleed all over the place?" Johnny remained silent. Mystel shrugged. He lifted a hand and brought it to his jaw, traipsing his fingers through the blood relishing the feel. Hand covered in blood, he pulled it away and licked it off his fingers.

"That's disgusting," Johnny said.

"In Jabaq, drinking blood is as common as drinking water."

"That's another reason why your people must be destroyed. You're blood sucking fiends. Do you kill other people just to drink their blood?"

"That's just a rumour," Mystel pointed out, "something your people made up to make us seem detestable."

"You are detestable." Johnny turned his back and strode over to a nearby table, reaching down to grab a golden goblet sitting on the surface. He brought the rim to his lips and swallowed a mouthful of the liquid before setting it back down. "I've heard stories about Jabaq. There are no laws, no code of morals to live by. Diseases run rampant and thieves are as common as rats. It's even said your water runs with the colour of the dead."

Mystel rolled his eyes again and heaved a long sigh. "Is that the stories your parents told you when you were but a young lad? Have you ever been to Jabaq Johnny?" He didn't wait for Johnny to reply. "Of course you haven't, you've spent your entire life behind this great wall. The stories you have heard are just that – stories. You shouldn't speak ill of things you have not seen." A smirk crossed his face. "It's much worse than that."

Johnny shuddered. "How could it be much worse? Do you rape people when they're dead?" he asked.

The blond snorted. "We're not rapists Johnny... well, some of us aren't. You get a few oddballs every now and then, but you can't expect everyone to be a saint." Johnny moved to the table and sat down on the surface, his eyes focused on Mystel. It was hard to detect what thoughts were running through his head, but at least Johnny was listening to him. If he continued to make conversation with Johnny, then perhaps the soldier would have a change of heart? He was quick to anger and if he could turn that rage against his own people... "You and I would make a fine team Johnny."

The soldier's head jerked up. "I already told you, I'm not working for you."

Mystel grinned, raised his hands exposing the palms towards Johnny. "Hear me out alright?" His grin faded. "Robert will never reward you for your efforts; you put your body on the line every day and what do you get out of it? Nothing."

"I'm loyal to Robert," Johnny replied, a slight quaver to his voice. He swallowed, cleared his throat and spoke again, "I am loyal to Robert."

"You're fooling yourself Johnny I heard the tremble in your tone. Do you want to spend the rest of your life on the wall fighting a losing battle? All you are to Robert is muscle and little brain, but I see much more than that." Mystel tugged at the post with this tied hand then lifted it up in the air. "If you free me from this dungeon, I will make it worth your while. I will give you everything – power, authority and complete control. Isn't that what you want? You'll be able to make your own decisions without someone else telling you what to do. I call it freedom."

"I'm not stupid," Johnny replied, through gritted teeth.

"Then prove it!"

A thoughtful expression took hold of Johnny's face. He turned his head towards the stone slab stairs as if thinking about leaving, but returned his attention to Mystel. "You're from Jabaq. You won't keep your word."

"Stop with the generalizations Johnny. How many soldiers from Jabaq have you gotten to know? None? Then how can you assume I won't keep my word?"

Johnny remained silent. Mystel assumed he was thinking about his offer. "If I... if I do this... how do we escape without them seeing us?"

Mystel lifted his hand again, jerking his head down at the rope. He almost grinned at hearing Johnny's words. It hadn't taken much effort at all to convince him. "One thing at a time Johnny, first you need to cut this rope. You could use my sword," he said, pointing to a long blade lying on the far corner of the room at the bottom of the stairs. Johnny looked at the weapon, nodded and walked over to pick it up. The sword was as long as his arm. "Now, cut the rope."

Johnny did as ordered. He held the blade with a firm hand, and placed the edge against the thick rope. Moving his hand back and forth, the sharp blade began to sever it before it soon broke apart. The rope fell onto the floor. "Now what?" Johnny asked, as Mystel picked himself up from the floor.

"What do you think genius?" Mystel replied, eyebrow arched. "We leave."

"Through the gates? But that'll get us killed!"

Mystel heaved a sigh. "Maybe you are just brawn... we're heading into the land of the Gods. We'll never get through the gates without some sort of shield. There's an amulet in Khakpour which will allow us to bypass the gates without getting attacked, it's called Draciel, the Amulet of Shielding."

Johnny grumbled. "I've heard about that. The priest boy Max wears it around his neck. He'll be leaving for Madari soon to join the circle."

"Not if we get to him first."

"You'll never get through the gates of Khakpour."

Mystel fixed his cyan blue eyes on Johnny's face, the right edge of his mouth curving upwards. "You can. Now, there's one last thing you can do for me before we leave. Hold out your arm."

Johnny lifted a brow. "Are you going to cut my arm off?"

"If I wanted to do that, don't you think that would've already happened by now?" Mystel shook his head. "Arm out I'm not going to ask again."

After a few quick seconds of hesitance, Johnny stretched out his right arm. "What are you going to do?"

Mystel didn't reply. He dug a hand underneath his white linen robes and pulled out a curved copper dagger with a black hilt. Bringing the tip of the dagger towards Johnny's arm, he placed it down against his skin until Johnny jerked his arm back. "What was that for?"

"Are you going to bleed me dry?"

"I'm not here to kill you Johnny; I'm here to help you. I can't do that if you're dead." Johnny stretched out his arm again, wincing as Mystel placed the dagger on his skin. He closed his eyes and turned his head away as if expecting an explosion of pain. The sharp point pierced into the flesh. He forced the dagger in deeper then dragged it upwards creating bigger cut, ignoring the hisses of pain from Johnny. "It'll be over soon."

Johnny opened his eyes and gazed down at the incision. Thick red blood gushed out of his arm, dropping before his feet staining the ground he stood upon. He brought his arm closer to his body, wincing with pain but Mystel grabbed it and pulled it back. "I thought you were done?"

"That was part one, now for part two." He dropped his dagger onto the ground, and grasped Johnny's bleeding arm with his other hand. With both hands gripping his arm, he lowered his head and pressed his mouth against the wound. He sunk his teeth and fastened his grip, drinking in a few mouthfuls of blood then drew back. He bent down, picked up the dagger and made a small incision into his own arm. Johnny's eyes were wide; Mystel suspected he was torn between horror and intrigue. "You'll get used to it."

"I should just kill you now..."

"Too late for that now Johnny," Mystel said, holding his bleeding arm over Johnny's cut. He shook his arm and drops of blood fell into the cut merging together as one. "I've just performed a blood binding spell on you. You are in this for the long haul now. If you try to flee, I will know where to find you. If you try to kill me, you will die immediately. I wouldn't try anything. Now, less talk and more moving." He pushed Johnny towards the exit and followed behind.

.

Stepping outside into the military base was a welcome change of scenery from the dungeon. It was late afternoon now and the soldiers were in the middle of the base eating dinner and relaxing. But Mystel paid them no attention. Leaving the wall undetected was his primary goal. "The soldiers are distracted. We can just walk around the building without them even noticing us," Johnny said, turning his head to the left side of the jailhouse. "There's nothing out the back but a fence and an outpost."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Johnny didn't need further encouragement. He led the way around the outside of the jailhouse, occasionally glancing over at the men ensuring no one was watching them. Fortunately, the soldiers were occupied by food and paid them no attention. "There's the exit," Johnny said, turning a corner. He lifted an arm and pointed at the opening in the fence.

"I can see that Johnny."

"You said you wanted to head to Khakpour first?"

Mystel nodded. "Is something wrong? You are the expert on this side of the wall after all."

"It'll take about a month to reach the kingdom on foot if the desert didn't kill us first. We'll need horses or camels if we wish to maximise our chances of survival," Johnny explained.

"And where do we get horses or camels?"

Johnny looked to the mountain pass beyond the opening in the fence. "It'll take about half a week to pass through the rest of the mountain pass. The remaining half will be spent walking through the desert until we reach the town of Gabij."

Mystel arched a brow. "One week? How are we meant to survive without food and water for a week? I've been living off half eaten bread for the past few days."

"Camels carrying supplies leave Gabij everyday to give us supplies," Johnny explained. "If we're lucky, we might be able to get some supplies from passing camels and their riders."

Mystel snorted. "A chance to shed some blood then, sounds good to me." Johnny nodded then walked towards the opening in the fence. Mystel followed him keeping his thoughts to himself when a male voice called out Johnny's name. He knew the voice – Enrique. Sighing, he halted and turned around. Two males strode towards them, their chests out and shoulders back straight.

"Johnny! Robert's been looking for you; he's going to take over your duty as warden and-the prisoner!" Enrique said, his eyes moving to Mystel. "You released the prisoner?!" he demanded, eyes shifting back to Johnny with scrutiny.

Dropping his hand beneath his robes, Mystel's fingers reached for his blade. "If they raise a weapon against us, I'll kill them," he whispered.

"Spilling blood right here will raise the alarm and defenders of the wall will come after us," Johnny replied, furrowing his brows. "Just keep quiet and let me do the talking."

With a casual shrug of his shoulders, Mystel muttered, "Don't see what good that's going to do, they don't look particularly happy to see you."

Enrique took a step forward, drawing out his sword. He pointed the tip at Johnny then spoke, "You were meant to be watching over him Johnny, or did he manage to outsmart you and escape?" he mocked.

"He did not outsmart me Enrique!"

"Perhaps he let him escape Enrique, Johnny always liked challenging Robert's orders," Oliver said, pushing a strand of green hair away from his face. "I know the prisoner is with you Johnny, return him now or we'll report you to Robert."

Mystel stepped closer to Johnny and whispered into his ear, "A lot of good talking did. I say we teach these pals of yours a lesson, what do you say Johnny?"

Oliver withdrew his sword. "Johnny, we are your friends," he pointed the sword at Mystel, "but he is your enemy. Think twice about what you are doing."

"I've made my choice."

Oliver's eyes closed. He brought a hand to his chest and muttered. Was it a prayer or a curse? Mystel couldn't tell, but he wasn't concerned in the slightest. The Gods meant nothing to him. He lived by his own laws.

"You were never a true warrior of the wall, Johnny!" Enrique said.

Mystel cut in sharply. "Johnny's made his choice and he's chosen the winning side."

"You don't get to speak prisoner!" Enrique rasped.

Rolling his eyes, Mystel forced a sigh, "I'm not in the dungeon anymore Enrique, I'm walking free. I'm not a prisoner anymore."

"Then prepare to face your crimes," Enrique hissed. He raised his sword pointing the tip at Johnny.

Johnny's fingers fell to his axe hanging at his left thigh, but Mystel shook his head. "Let me handle this, I wouldn't mind getting a little payback." He flexed his fingers then drew out his sword.

Oliver advanced towards him first, his eyes focused on him as if he were prey. The petite man crept forward with the gracefulness of a cat holding his sword close to his body. He circled around Mystel searching for a weak spot then lunged, aiming the tip of his blade at Mystel's exposed left side. Mystel reaction was immediate – he parried the blow then struck back with a swift movement, forcing Oliver to stumble backwards.

The petite soldier regathered his footing and struck again in a fluid action. Mystel jumped back, narrowly avoiding the tip by less than an inch. Oliver smirked and stepped forward into Mystel's inner circle and swung his sword. Mystel parried the blow and spat in Oliver's face before shoving him away. Enraged, Oliver lunged. Expecting this, Mystel dodged and brought the flat side of his sword around and into the side of Oliver's head. He dropped to the ground, the impact of the blow knocking him out cold.

Enrique snarled and lunged.

The flat side of his blade clashed with Enrique's longsword, the taller blond seeming to have the advantage because of his height. But his advantage was short lived – Mystel pulled his sword back abruptly – and Enrique toppled forward, almost falling face first into the ground leaving his body open to attack. But instead of choosing to strike, Mystel slapped Enrique's backside with his sword earning a snort of appreciation from Johnny. "So this is how elite soldiers of Aduri fight? Crawling on the ground eating dirt?" he mocked. He cast a sideways glance at Johnny, "You will not miss much staying here."

Enrique crawled across the ground panting, "You're a traitor Johnny! When Robert finds out..."

Mystel swung his leg back, and brought it forward slamming his foot into Enrique's side toppling him over. "That's just a little payback for before," he said. Enrique coughed, forcing a gob of saliva to drop from his mouth. Mystel kicked him again taking great delight in watching the other blond struggle.

"By the time he finds out, we will be long gone," Johnny said in a low voice, a sombre expression on his face.

"May the Gods damn your soul for your treachery! You will suffer for this!"

Strolling over to the gasping blond, Mystel gazed down at the soldier. He lowered his sword, placing the tip on Enrique's chin and lifted it up. Angry youthful eyes looked up at him, but Mystel could see the smallest hint of fear within. "You're not as brave as you think you are." He dropped to his knees and brought his face inches away from Enrique's. With his free hand, he grabbed a tuft of blond hair and jerked Enrique's head to the right. "Your people might think of you as a great warrior, but when the wall falls will you be brave enough to stand your ground?"

"I will never flee!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. You don't know what's coming; you think you've seen the full might of Jabaq?" He forced a dry laugh. "Barthaz's strength grows every day and Jabaq grows with it." Mystel dropped his sword on the floor, dug a hand into his cloths and grabbed his dagger. He hovered the dagger over Enrique's right eye before placing the tip an inch underneath. Enrique looked at the weapon warily fearing the worst. "Don't worry you're not going to lose an eye. That won't make you useful on the battlefield and I want you to see the wall fall down with both your eyes," he added. "Let this be your first scar in battle," he added, smirking. He pressed the edge of the knife into Enrique's skin and dragged it down, creating an incision in his cheekbone.

Enrique's face scrunched up from the pain, but the boy did not yell. Mystel had to give him credit for biting his tongue; he wasn't a wimp after all, but he still had a long way to go if he wanted to become a battle hardened seasoned warrior. Once the cut was made, Mystel pulled back and admired his work. The cut measured ten centimetres from below his right eye down to the slope of his right cheekbone. "I will kill you," Enrique said through clenched teeth as blood travelled down his cheek, "Today might not be the day, but your death will come at my hands." The malice in his eyes was pure and his words strong with conviction, but Mystel could only laugh.

"I'm sure you will..." He stood up from the ground and jerked his head at Johnny. "Take their weapons." Johnny nodded, bent his back and pried the sword from Enrique's hands. Once he had taken Enrique's weapon, he walked over to Oliver's unconscious form and took his blade. Mystel nodded his head in approval. "Now we can leave. Lead the way Johnny.

.

Wrote this chapter while I had the flu – I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. I've got a lot of ground to cover. A fun chapter to write considering Johnny and Mystel are my top two favourite males. Will Mystel keep Johnny safe from harm or is he just being manipulated for a greater purpose? If you're wondering why Johnny had a change of heart so quickly, it's because I see Johnny at odds with his teammates looking for the chance to prove himself. So that explains Johnny's reasoning. Tyson is up next then Kai again.

As for the writing itself, I hope you are able to 'connect' with the characters in one way or another. I've constructed the dialogue in a way that I hope it gives you an idea of what their personalities and attitudes are. As always, reviews much appreciated!


	5. Different, But the Same

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

I apologize for the two week delay in updating this. It's been a hectic month for me and things are finally turning back to normal now. Thanks must go to the following for reviewing the previous chapter; Omegaxis1, EastBlue and kaihil lover! Song for this chapter is, 'Majestic Peaks' by West One Music.

**.**

**Chapter Four: Different, But the Same**

_Tyson_

_Tyson grabbed a sword and held it upright, his fingers touching the cool steel surface. He always wanted to be a warrior, but he never managed to pass the test. It was unfortunate he failed, he dreamed of battling with enemies on the field, cutting enemies down with his blade. But destiny had a different plan for him. Instead of being a mighty warrior, Tyson cleaned out the dungeons and rooms of the soldiers. He swept the floor, prepared the food, washed the clothes and polished the weapons and armour. It wouldn't be such a bad life if he lived in some other kingdom, but unfortunately he lived in the middle of all the action. _

_Every day he would awaken to the sounds of battle. The screams of men pounded in his head. He could just imagine what they felt like. Did he feel nervous knowing his life could possibly end? Or did he charge into battle with a grin on his face? Sighing, Tyson lowered the blade back on the table. He couldn't fight, but he could dream. He turned his gaze on the broom leaning nearby and grabbed it. With a firm grip, Tyson swept away the junk on the floor pushing it all into a corner as he hummed a tune._

_The door swung open as Tyson let out a long high-pitched whistle. Standing in the entrance was Johnny and he was less than impressed. The proud warrior's lips were pressed together, fists clenched at his side. "At first I thought there was some monstrous creature in here, but it's only you attempting to make a musical tune." _

_Tyson rolled his eyes. That was the normal way of greeting him. If he had said a simple 'hello, how are you' then he'd be concerned. Johnny wasn't known for being a nice guy. "I'm working, Johnny," he said, pointing a finger at the broomstick in his hand._

_Johnny snorted. "I can see that, Tyson." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't understand why Robert keeps you employed under his service. If I was him, I'd have you for target practice." He chuckled at the thought. "But," he shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head to the side, "you'd be an easy target to hit."_

"_Have you ever tried to be nice, Johnny?" Tyson asked. He was crossing the line here, but he didn't care. What was the worse Johnny could do? If he laid a hand on him, Tyson would tell Robert and the commander would lecture Johnny about treating everyone with respect, even if they weren't worthy of it. _

_Johnny tilted his head back, his smirk widening. "You're beneath me. You don't deserve my appreciation." To prove his point, he spat at the space in front of Tyson's feet. _

_Tyson stopped sweeping the floor, placing the broomstick against the wall. "Why are you here Johnny?" His eyes fell to the piece of parchment in Johnny's hand. He assumed the soldier was here to pass him a message. Probably something about the list of chores he needed to complete before the week is over._

"_I'm not here out of the kindness of my heart; why would anyone want to see you? I'm only here because Robert has a message for you." Johnny handed the paper to Tyson._

"_Is it a list of chores?"_

_Johnny shook his head. "Robert wants you to leave by nightfall. He's left instructions in the paper I just gave you."_

_Tyson was shocked. Robert wanted him to leave his service? "But I haven't done anything wrong!" he protested. Perhaps it had something to do with the overcooked pigeon he cooked three days ago? But surely Robert wouldn't ask him to leave because of that?_

"_Your existence is wrong," Johnny said, snorting. "Robert wants you to act as a messenger and ask for help from the neighbouring kingdoms," he added. "And before you ask why it's because he doesn't want to use his men – so he chose you, the daft one."_

_A sense of relief and joy overcame him. Relieved Robert wasn't sending him away to get killed, and joy at the fact he finally got a chance to prove himself worthy. He stashed the paper in his pocket and prepared to walk out the door, when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder. "I'm preparing to leave." Johnny could insult him all he liked, but he was heading into freedom. Freedom away from the Wall._

"_Aren't you going to read the words in the note?"_

"_I'll read it when I've left the gates," Tyson replied, twisting himself free of Johnny's grip._

"_Are you sure you can read?"_

_Tyson felt his temper begin to rise. "Of course I can read!" Why did everyone have to treat him like he was some incompetent human? He wasn't useless! "I'm not a fool."_

_A harsh, derisive laugh escaped Johnny's mouth. "Do you know why you are not on the battlefields?" Tyson remained silent, giving the warrior a blank look. "It's because you can't be trusted not to kill the wrong man. I've seen you play warrior and you couldn't even hold the blade correctly."_

"_I was young at the time!"_

_Johnny took a step closer to Tyson. He wasn't much taller than him, but right now he towered over Tyson making him feel small. "You were shown how to hold the weapon and yet you still couldn't master such a simple task. I can understand why your brother and grandfather abandoned you." He paused briefly to wait for Tyson to speak. Tyson remained silent again. Smirking, Johnny continued. "Would've been better to leave you for dead, but I guess they couldn't kill their own family. You're a fool, Tyson. Always have and always will be. I hope you don't somehow manage to condemn us all to death."_

_Tyson growled. He tightened his fists at his side. In the corner of his eye he spotted the sword and wondered... unfortunately, Johnny seemed to pick up on his line of thinking. "Give it a try, Tyson. You might cut off your own arm." He laughed again, then his expression turned sour. "I'll be taking that sword away from you, can't have you dying just yet." _

"_But what am I going to protect myself with?" Although no soldier of Jabaq lived on this side of the Wall, there were other dangers. Bandits, mages, bizarre animals... and drunks. The drunks scared him the most. Bandits always ambushed first. Mages used their magic to attack. Animals used their defences but drunks were unpredictable. _

"_I'm sure they won't harm you, after all what is there to be afraid of a mere fool?" Johnny said, his eyes shining with amusement. Before Tyson could protest, Johnny reached out a hand towards the sword and grabbed the hilt. He pointed the tip of the blade at Johnny. "Leave now. Don't make me say it twice." Tyson didn't move. _

_It didn't take long for a sharp pain to burst in his upper right thigh. Johnny poked him with the sword, grinning with delight as Tyson cried out in pain. "Alright, alright I'm going!" Sometimes he wondered if Johnny was fighting on the right side. He was a lot rougher than the other soldiers. _

"_There's a horse waiting for you now."_

_Without wasting more time trading idle words with Johnny, Tyson raced out of the room and headed to the back gate. Johnny was correct – a horse was waiting for him. The white mare stood with patience. Tyson walked to the horse and placed a hand on the reigns then heaved himself up. Thankfully, the mare seemed to like him._

_Life was about to change._

_For better or for worse, Tyson did not know._

_But at least he was walking away from the prison behind the Wall._

.

Johnny's words replayed through his mind as he rode his horse through the mountain valley. A week had passed since he left his home behind. "_I can understand why your brother and grandfather abandoned you." _He tried to shut the words out, but they struck him deep. His family – his own blood! – ditched him. Abandoned him for the sake of pursuing gold and fortune. They felt he wasn't good enough to take along on the journey because he couldn't fight.

"_I'm sorry, Tyson but you're not coming with us."_

"_But why not? We're family, we stick together."_

"_Not this time, little brother. You can't fight – you're a burden to us. Our grandfather is sending you to Aduri. Perhaps they'll find some use of you. Goodbye, Tyson." _

His vision blurred, and his bottom lip trembled. A single teardrop rolled down his tan cheeks, dropping onto his shirt. Although the event had happened over a decade ago, Tyson still felt the same pain. The crushing blow. The dull ache in his stomach. He hadn't cried during the parting conversation, but he cried himself to sleep for many days afterwards.

The people he loved, idolized – abandoned him because he wasn't what they wanted him to be. His grandfather took him in after an accident in Madari which left his father dead. He was placed in the military where his grandfather hoped he could become a warrior but he failed to do anything right. All he received was wounds and bruises. For a week he stayed in the temple where a he met a girl called Hilary, a lovely girl with an art for healing and she cared for him day and night. But any chance of developing a strong bond with her never happened. He was taken to Aduri the day he was well enough to stand.

Life in Aduri wasn't much better. The men here were hard and unused to idle light conversation. In Madari, Tyson spent his time at the tavern sharing stories with the other men, but there was no tavern in Aduri. Sword fighting wasn't just a way to pass the time; it was a matter of life and death. Even the women could fight. "Better to be out here than within the gates of Aduri," Tyson muttered, through chattering teeth.

Although it was daytime, it was still cold. Tyson wished he had taken more care in preparing for the journey, but instead he chose to leave immediately without any thought. No wonder why people thought he was a fool. "I'm not a fool... I'm not..." he mumbled. But it was hard to believe. His life felt like one big joke. The only person who ever truly loved him was his father. Another tear travelled down his cheek. Tyson let it fall to the ground.

He wondered where his brother and grandfather were now. Were they living the life they wanted? Both his kin were skilled fighters; perhaps they had gone to Khakpour or Qubo to serve as militia. His grandfather might be old, but his experience could be passed onto other young soldiers while Hiro could lead an army. Had Hiro found comfort within the arms of a female? Did his family think about him? Probably not. Were they both even alive still?

No. They had to be alive. Tyson couldn't wish his family dead; they might've abandoned him, but they still had the same blood coursing through their veins. "Dad, I wish you were here to tell me what to do," he said, arching his neck back and glancing up at the overcast sky. Silence was his answer, but that's what he expected. The dead couldn't respond.

.

Tyson continued to walk his horse through the winding mountain valley, when a sharp object hit him in the back of the head. He cursed aloud, then jerked his head behind him searching for the culprit. All he found was a pebble lying on the ground. "Where in the hells did that come from?" he wondered, scratching his head.

He dismounted. He glanced up at the sky – perhaps a bird had dropped it on his head? But there were no birds to be found. It wasn't a dragon; a dragon wouldn't drop a pebble, it would drop a rock. "Hey fatty, over here!" a male voice called out from behind.

Tyson frowned. He wasn't fat! "Show yourself!" Again, he felt another pebble hit him this time in the forehead. He yelped with pain, slapping a hand to his forehead. Laughter came from behind a rock. Tyson squinted and noticed a bushel of red hair sticking up from behind it. He smirked and wondered over to the rock.

A young male in his early teens with jade green eyes looked up at him. His mouth dropped open in shock. "How did you find me?"

Rolling his eyes, Tyson pointed to the boy's hair. "Your hair. Could see that from a mile away." He held out his hand revealing the blue painted pebble. "Why did you throw this at me?"

"I thought you were one of those bad guys," the boy admitted.

"Are you talking about Jabaq?"

The boy nodded. "I hear lots of battle sounds." He cast his eyes towards the direction of the wall. "I thought the wall had finally fallen down."

"The wall still stands. No soldier of Jabaq will come through to this side," Tyson said. He extended a hand towards the kid, smiling. "What's your name kid? I'm Tyson."

The young teen took Tyson's hand and helped himself up from the ground. He was dressed in nothing more but rags. "My name is Daichi and I live in these mountains."

Tyson lifted a brow. "You live in the mountains?"

"It's hard to believe, but this is my home." Raising a hand, he pointed a finger towards the mountain. For the first time, Tyson noticed a ladder made of rope hanging down from the side. Had the boy made this ladder himself? Who else lived up there and why hadn't he known about it? "I can tell by the look in your eyes you have a lot of questions, but I'm not going to answer them for you unless you can pass my test."

Tyson hated tests. This would be his third attempt at passing one. Perhaps he would be lucky this time. "What sort of test?"

Daichi dug a hand into his pocket and Tyson expected the kid to pull out a small sword. But instead of a sword there was a stick... two sticks. He forced a laugh. "Gosh, I was expecting a weapon of some sort." He almost sighed with relief.

"I challenge you to a duel."

"A stick fight?" he laughed again. This surely had to be some joke! But the determination in the boy's eyes revealed he was serious about the fight. "Surely, you jest?"

"You laugh now, but I'll wipe that smile off your face. Too many people have mocked me for my techniques, but I'm not going to let them win," Daichi replied through clenched teeth.

Tyson felt his muscles relax and his nerves ease. So the boy was also ridiculed and looked down upon for being different. He extended a hand. "Alright, I accept your challenge." What harm could sticks do anyway, especially ones so small? Daichi passed him a stick and Tyson wrapped his fingers around it with a firm hold.

Before Tyson could prepare himself, Daichi lunged. Instinct told Tyson to jump out of the way. He threw his body to the right, hitting the ground hard sending sand flying up around him. He rolled over onto his stomach, spitting sand out of his mouth. "Wait Daichi, what are the rules?"

"There are no rules!" Daichi attacked again. He jumped in the air then landed on top of Tyson straddling him. With his stick raised, he brought it down stabbing Tyson in the chest. Tyson cried out in pain and shock. He was surprised that a little stick could hurt so much. The sharp end of the stick had scraped off skin on his chest, creating a tiny shallow hole. A small amount of blood leaked out of the wound. "What are you gonna do, Tyson? Sit there and play the fool?" Daichi mocked. "I hope you're not as dumb as you look!"

That one word alone was enough to encourage Tyson to fight back. He drew his free hand back, then brought it forward slamming his knuckles into Daichi's face throwing the young teen off him. "I'm not stupid!" he cried. Tightening his grasp on his stick, Tyson charged and threw his entire weight at Daichi.

Daichi glanced up and screamed. "Mercy!"

But it was too late. Tyson had already made his attack. He landed on Daichi causing the boy's eyes to widen and face to redden. A muffled groan escaped his throat. "Did I pass your little test?" It wasn't a difficult one, but he felt proud he managed to gain the upper hand for once. Daichi nodded. Tyson smiled and stood up from Daichi allowing the poor boy to regain his composure.

"You passed..."

"Is the passing rate low?"

Daichi sat up. "You're the first person who ever agreed to face me in a duel, that's how you passed the test." He glanced down at his lap as if he were ashamed.

Both of Tyson's eyebrows lifted. That was news to him. "You seemed like you had faced many people before in a stick fight duel."

He peered up at Tyson, pressing his palms together. "Years of practice, that's all. I tried it on a few soldiers from Aduri and they only laughed at me. This one guy with auburn hair took it a step further and beat me down."

Sounded like Johnny. Tyson passed the stick back to Daichi and sat down across from him. "Why do you live in these mountains anyway? Don't you have a place to call home?" Why would a boy so young be living alone in a dangerous valley? It didn't make much sense to him.

"I was born in Khakpour. My dad was a merchant and he'd drive the camels back and forth to the wall with supplies. He had a deep interest in rock climbing and every trip we'd stop to climb up the mountain." Daichi lifted his gaze from his lap and peered up at the mountainside wall where his ladder hung. His tone softened. "He built that ladder for me so I could join him on the upper ledges."

"What happened next if you don't mind me asking?"

Daichi paused. He turned his head away from the ladder and looked down at his hands. "On the way back home from Aduri, we stopped again to do some climbing. But this time, my dad... didn't make it to the top." He brought a hand to his eye and rubbed it sniffing softly. "He fell... and I couldn't do anything to save him." He closed eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry."

Several beats of silence passed until Daichi spoke again. "I live here in his memory. No one else knows about this hiding place," he said, glancing back up at the ledge again. Another pause. Tyson remained silent. He felt it would be rude to speak. Daichi rubbed his eye again, then looked at Tyson.  
"I told you my story now you tell me yours."

He felt uncomfortable sharing his history with Daichi, but the kid had shared his. It wouldn't be fair to lie to him or withhold the truth. If Daichi was honest, he could be honest as well. "I was born and raised in Madari. My father was enlisted by High Priest Voltaire to study Mount Dojim while my grandfather and older brother fought in the military. My father was at the foot of the mountain studying the mysterious barrier one day, then the next he was gone. His body was found at the entrance."

"I've heard about that barrier. They say the Gods themselves are trapped within."

Tyson let out a gentle snort. "If they are then I blame them for the loss of my father." His throat tightened. "Someone murdered my father and the Gods just let him die." Powerful surges of emotion gripped his mind making it hard to focus on the conversation. He remembered the death as if it happened yesterday. It was he who found his father motionless, his face lying down in the sand. His clothes were torn, his heart ripped out and eyes cut from his face. "I wish I knew who murdered him." He dropped his hands to his knees gripping them tightly.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"He was the only person who ever cared for me, the only person who supported me during my attempts to get in the Madari militia. I failed the tests and ended up in hospital for a week. When I recovered, my grandfather and brother sent me here. They didn't want me around anymore." His body shuddered. He inhaled deeply, then sighed. "So I ended up here and they forced me into the army, but I failed at that too. Now I just clean and cook a slave of the Wall." He pulled his gaze away from Daichi unable to look into his eyes. "I'm sorry. I lost control."

"We've both suffered great losses," Daichi said, gazing down at the stick in his hand, "but we're still here today standing strong. We live in the memories of our loved ones."

Tyson nodded. "He's the reason I keep going. I'll need him more than ever for the journey that lies ahead."

"What journey is that?"

Pulling the paper out of his pocket, Tyson unravelled it and summarized the words on the message. "Commander Robert wants me to travel to the neighbouring kingdoms and ask for assistance against the forces of Jabaq. Time is running out. He fears there is not much time left before the wall finally falls. He suggests I pay Khakpour a visit and speak to Judy first." Judy was the Lady of Khakpour, well renowned for her golden blonde locks, baby blue eyes and infinite amounts of wisdom. "And that is all the message says," Tyson concluded. Simple instructions. He crunched the paper into a ball and placed it back into his pocket. "I should probably leave now." Tyson stood up from the ground and moved towards his horse.

"Can I... can I come with you?" Daichi asked, standing up from the sand. He dusted his clothes off and strode over to Tyson. "It's been a long time since I've had a friend."

A brief smile crossed Tyson's face. This was the beginning of a strong friendship. "Sure, it'll be good to have company." At least he'd have someone to talk to. The thought of travelling by himself for weeks made him nervous. If was injured there'd be no one to help him recover, he'd die in the desert left at the mercy of the wild. "I know we only just met, but I'm glad to have you accompany me."

Daichi smiled back. "Together we'll overcome whatever the world throws at us." He threw a fist into the air.

"You might as well climb board, there's room for two," said Tyson, pointing to his horse. "Unless you want to walk the entire way."

"Good point." Tyson chuckled at Daichi's moment of forgetfulness, as he climbed in the front seat. Fortunately, he was small enough to share the saddle. "Khakpour, here we come!" he declared, saluting. With a loud neigh, the horse broke into a canter and headed towards the end of the valley. As they moved further away from Aduri, Tyson heard the last sounds of battle play in the background. He could only hope the Wall remained strong until he found a great army.

.

This was more of a 'fun' chapter in comparison to the previous ones. I wanted to lighten up the mood because things get dark again in the next few. Now you have more insight into Johnny's character, but you now also have gained an insight into Tyson and why he acts the way he does. I hoped you enjoyed this! Next chapter is all about Kai again. As always, reviews much appreciated!

Mini poll – out of the characters introduced thus far, who do you find most interesting and why?


	6. Questions and Answers

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

DMGSilverAirHead03 and Omegaxis1 for reviewing the previous chapter. I won't be doing weekly updates anymore until November due to a busy schedule. Enjoy! Song for this chapter is, 'You Were Born For This' by Epic Score

**.**

**Chapter Five: Questions and Answers**

_Kai_

"The Black Blade."

"And what is that?"

The bird stretched its wings. Black embers floated around before settling on the ground. "A weapon made of shadow."

Kai frowned. "A weapon made of shadow? How is that even possible?"

"It's the only blade of its kind created by the former Master of Shadows," the bird explained, bringing its wings back to its body.

"Master of Shadows? Who is that?"

The bird plucked out a feather, and watched it flutter to the ground before speaking again, "He was once a mortal man such as yourself. He served the Gods wholeheartedly; you would never find a mortal with such devotion today. He had a wife and a home of his own, but his fortunes changed one day and he was never the same. She was maimed by a group of religious fanatics and locked within the pyramid walls of Tecano. It's believed if you walk past the pyramid you can hear her screams."

"How does that relate to shadows?"

"He swore vengeance on her killers, and turned his back on all that he had come to love. He studied the dark arts and found a way to control shadow – something not even the strongest of necromancers could achieve. Spurred on by hate and revenge, he was able to manipulate the shadows into a weapon which could break down the barrier."

"The barrier at the foot of the mountain!"

Nodding, the avian continued, "But he was unable to use the blade so he hid the weapon in a place no one would dare come across."

Kai ran a hand through his hair. "Why was he unable to use it?"

"He made the weapon for a man of faith to wield."

"And now you want me to find that blade? Why do I want to break down the barrier?"

"You ask many questions of me that I can't answer yet. Progress further and more answers to your questions will be revealed. But you must get sleep now, Kai. A long journey awaits you." The bird arched it's neck back, opened its beak and let out a piercing shriek before fading. Kai rubbed his eyes and found himself in the comfort of his room.

The words, 'black blade' replayed in his mind. What did it mean? Was he meant to find this sword and use it against the mountain? But what for? None of this made any sense to Kai, but unfortunately the black bird had faded away. From the conversation, he could understand a few things. The main point the bird had made was that he could stop whatever was inside the mountain.

But the bird had not shared with him information regarding the location of the sword. How was he supposed to stop whatever was in the mountain if he could not find the black blade? He didn't even have a direction. The bird was clear about one thing though – he needed sleep. He sighed and placed the amulet around his neck tightening the string together so it would not fall off. He stretched his arms and fell back on his bed, then closed his eyes.

It did not take long for his thoughts to be interrupted. "Kai!" Bryan shouted, his fists banging on the door.

Kai groaned. What did Bryan want? He hoped Bryan hadn't dropped by for some idle conversation... "Bryan?" he asked with caution. He hoped he hadn't drunk too much. Dealing with a drunken soldier wasn't a fun task, especially a brute like Bryan.

The door flew open. Bryan's face was ashen white, his hands shaking. Certainly not the look of someone who had too much to drink. "Come quickly, Kai! There's trouble at the temple!"

Kai slowly sat up on his bed, tucking the amulet underneath his shirt. "It's Hilary, right?" he asked, corners of his mouth curving upwards into a smirk. "Perhaps she's finally cracked." How could someone keep their calm for so long under immense pressure was beyond him. Dealing with the sick, the elderly... sounded like a burden.

No smile appeared on Bryan's face. "You're right – it's Hilary, but it's far worse than what you assumed."

That caught his attention. "What do you mean?" Something far worse than a cranky Hilary? He wondered what that could be.

"I left the tavern shortly afterwards you left. Tala and Ian were arguing about the Gods and I didn't want to listen anymore. I was making my way back here when I heard the faint sounds of screaming. I saw a hooded man fleeing the temple," Bryan explained, a fist clenched at his side. "I think he's done something to the patients."

"I never knew you were so caring, Bryan," Kai said.

Bryan shook his head. "I don't care for patients in general, but if someone is attacking us from within... that needs to be explored."

Kai nodded. "Agreed." He swung his legs over the side of his bed and walked to his table. His sword, given to him by his grandfather, rested on the table. It was a long sword with a golden and ruby encrusted hilt. He grabbed his sword and followed Bryan out the door. "Does anyone else know about the temple trouble?"

Bryan shrugged. "I don't think anyone else heard."

Picking up the pace, Bryan led Kai up the steep slope towards the temple. It was a hard trek up the sandy hill, but adrenaline provided him with fuel. Soon, they reached the peak. "It's dead silent," Kai said, his fingers tightening their hold. "I don't like this." Bryan pressed his back against the temple walls and slowly crept towards the entrance. Kai followed close behind, careful not to make any noise. Together, they edged closer to the door when Kai stopped. He raised a hand. "Do you hear that? Sounds like whimpering."

"Yeah, that must be Hilary." Bryan entered through the entrance and Kai followed soon after. "Holy shit..." he cursed. "What in the hells..."

Kai felt an invisible lump form in this throat making it hard to speak. The sight before him was truly shocking. There was a trail of blood on the floor, starting from a bed and running down through the centre of the temple towards the entrance. Patients lay on the beds, sleeping peacefully unaware of the chaos that had occurred. Kenny's unconscious form slumped against the far eastern wall. But it was Hilary's body that grabbed Kai's attention.

She lay at the foot of the bed in a foetal position, surrounded in a pool of blood. The stench caused Kai's stomach to hurl, but he fought down the sickness. Bloody tears rushed down her face, merging with the blood at her feet. Her fragile body shuddered with each shaky breath. "By the Gods...!" Kai heard Bryan mutter.

"Hilary!" Kai rushed over to the girl's side and dropped down beside her. He placed his arms underneath her body and tried to lift her up, but the girl cried out in pain. Kai drew his now-bloodied hands back. "Hilary... speak to me."

Hilary's hands grabbed Kai's shirt. "It hurts... it hurts so much..." she whimpered, tearful eyes staring up at Kai.

"He's gone now, Hilary. He can't hurt you."

She sobbed again. "He... he hurt me..." Despite her weakened state, she surprisingly had an iron grip.

"He's gone now." It felt weird holding Hilary in his arms. The closest he had gotten to Hilary before in the past was a slap to the face after he had spent the morning teasing her. But this wasn't the Hilary he knew – this was a girl hanging onto the edge of life, her mind shattered and body torn within. He couldn't hold her forever though. He gently pried her fingers off his cloth and gently lowered her head onto the floor.

Bryan grabbed a pillow and placed it underneath giving her head something soft to rest on. "Where is that fucking bastard?!" Bryan snapped, pulling his hands away from the pillow. "I'll rip his head off with my bare hands!" he added, emitting a deep growl from his throat. He turned his gaze towards the entrance of the temple as if expecting Hilary's attacker to enter.

Her gentle hands fell to her stomach. She winced. "...pain... in so much pain..."

Brooklyn. Kai was positive the strange man had done this. No one else walked around the kingdom with a hooded black cloak. But why? And just who was he anyway? Questions raced through his mind, but no answers came. Had the amulet gifted to him be the reason behind the random attack? "I'm going to find him," Kai said, in a low voice.

"I'm coming with you, Kai. That guy needs to pay."

"...Don't leave me..." Hilary reached out and grabbed the bottom of Kai's pants.

Kai glanced down at her, then reached down removing her fingers from his pants. "Bryan will look after you, Hilary." At Bryan's surprised look he added, "Someone needs to watch over her." Kai returned his gaze down at the weeping form and felt a rare pang of sympathy for her. The pain she had experienced was beyond unimaginable. Would she survive this? Would the healer be the one who needed healing?

Bryan opened his mouth to speak, but decided to close it. "Alright, you find him. I'll look after the girl." Before Kai could leave, he heard the soft gasps of Kenny. He jerked his head sharply in the direction of the young male and rushed over to assist.

"...Kai? Is... is that you?" he whimpered in between heavy gasps.

Kai dropped down beside him and looked into his eyes. "What happened here, Kenny?"

Kenny shuddered. "We were looking... looking after a patient," he wheezed, struggling to find the words to speak, "then he came in... mentioned he had given a gift for you, Kai."

So it was Brooklyn. He had been correct in his assumption. Kai placed a hand on Kenny's shoulder, tightening his grip. "What else happened?"

"He was interested in the amulet around Hilary's neck," Kenny whispered, lifting a trembling finger. "He told Hilary what she was doing was wrong... destroying fate. Then he attacked." He shuddered. "I do not know what happened afterwards." He brought his knees to his chest and sobbed. "I'm sorry..."

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Kenny. This wasn't your fault," Bryan said, eyes glowing with black fire. "You had no time to prepare yourself or call for guards."

"Bryan's right, don't punish yourself," Kai added, drawing back. Several conclusions raced through his mind. Hilary was covered in blood groaning and clutching her stomach. Brooklyn must have beaten her. But it didn't explain the pain Hilary felt in her lower gut. Had Brooklyn raped the girl? The thought alone sent a cold shiver down his spine. Whatever bitter history they shared, Hilary didn't deserve this. "I'll be back, take care of them Bryan." Bryan acknowledged Kai with a nod then tended to Hilary's wounds as best as he could.

Kai exited the temple, the smell of blood filling his nostrils. His head started to ache, and his stomach churned, but he powered on determined to find Brooklyn. Leaving the temple brought him great relief; he knew the horrors he had seen would never leave his mind. Fortunately, no one had died but the survivors would live with the nightmares for the rest of their lives.

He stood at the edge of the hill, his dark eyes scanning the grounds below. It was as if trouble at the temple had never occurred – citizens continued to walk around the kingdom carrying on with their normal tasks. He drew out his sword and held it close. Brooklyn could strike at him anytime. He continued to walk across the sand searching for a hooded man.

"Ah Kai, I thought I'd be seeing your face soon."

Kai turned his head around towards the source of the voice. His eyes narrowed. Brooklyn. "What did you do?" he asked through clenched teeth.

A slow smirk crossed Brooklyn's face. "I did what needed to be done."

"You almost killed them!" He pointed the tip of his blade towards Brooklyn.

"And? Is that a problem to you? I believe I've seen you kill a few citizens for fun," Brooklyn retorted, grin widening. "You can put that sword down, Kai. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself," he added, eyes resting on the sharp blade.

Kai snorted. "Have you been spying on me?"

"I've been watching you for a very long time. I had to make sure you were the right one."

Kai stepped forward, closing the distance between Brooklyn and himself. He brought his arms to his neck and untied the amulet, then showed it to Brooklyn. "You gave me this amulet for a reason."

Brooklyn's eyes lowered to the amulet. "You unlocked its powers."

"Yes and I want to know why you gave it to me."

Pressing the palms of his hands together, Brooklyn pointed his fingertips towards Kai. "You can stop it."

The bird's words came back to Kai. She had said the exact same thing. Somehow, Brooklyn and the bird were linked and the very connection scared him. "You want me stop whatever is hiding within the mountains... the Gods, right?"

Brooklyn evaded his question. "You have the power within you... you just need to be pushed in the right direction." A cold chuckle escaped his lips. "You can have all kingdoms kneel before you, Kai. All the power you can imagine would be yours." He took several steps towards Kai, his eyes never leaving his face. "Wouldn't you like that?"

"I'm not seeking power."

"You haven't had the slightest taste of real power. Once you've tasted it, you'll crave more." He snickered.

Kai kept his sword pointed at Brooklyn. "What did you to Hilary?"

"What happened to Hilary is none of your concern."

Brooklyn's evasiveness was beginning to frustrate Kai. He curled the fingers on his right hand around the amulet and raised it above his head. "I'll destroy this amulet and your plans involving me will fail," he threatened.

"That amulet was made with dark magic, Kai. You will never destroy it."

A soft snort escaped Kai's nostrils. "You don't know that."

"I made it."

So, his suspicions were correct. Brooklyn and the guardian beast of the amulet were connected. And they both wanted him to play a special role. Was Brooklyn the man in the bird's story? Had he created the Black Blade as well? "You're the one who created the Black Blade..." He lowered his sword.

"Smart boy."

Kai felt his guard rise. "Why should I help you? You've done nothing but bring harm against my people."

"Tell me this, Kai. Why do you care what happens to these worthless scum? You kill them yourself! You pickpocket, you murder... and all for what, for duty? No, you do it for sheer pleasure. There's a dark side to all of us, Kai... yours just happens to be strong."

"I will never allow myself to fall that far!"

Brooklyn's smirk remained. "It's already begun... and each day it grows. Sooner or later, you will turn into someone people will want to kill."

"I'm a man of faith."

"And that's exactly why I need you, but your faith won't save you." Before Kai could react, Brooklyn rushed towards Kai. With a palm raised, he brought his fingers towards Kai's forehead. Ice cold fingertips pressed against Kai's skin and he felt a jolt of pain rush down his spine. He tried to free himself, but he couldn't move. He was frozen in place.

"What are you doing?!"

"Sssh... relax. I'm going to show you a glimpse of the future..."

Darkness took over...

_A woman tended to a patient, pressing a cold cloth against the boy's head whispering soothing words into his ear. The boy murmured in his slumber with a soft smile on his face. Whatever words she spoke were clearly having an effect. She stood up from the bed and let the boy sleep. Suddenly, hands rushed to her stomach, her face convulsing in pain. She dropped to her knees, screaming, tears rolling down her cheeks. Blood gushed out of her mouth, spilling down the front of her shirt staining it a dark red. She writhed in pain, body jerking in all directions._

_A young boy with blond hair, bright blue eyes and a youthful face walked up towards the altar where High Priest Voltaire stood. The boy, dressed in white priest garbs kneeled before Voltaire bowing his head. Voltaire placed a hand on his head and murmured a few words. He couldn't hear what was being said, but the young boy seemed happy. Soon, he stood up and faced a beaming audience._

_The vision moved away from the kingdom of Madari to a tiny village south east. A tribe of devout believers stood in a circle, their eyes closed. Their mouths moved in sync, speaking the words of a prayer. The sole female in the group, a woman with pink hair, stood up and left the circle. A male with long black hair followed her until they reached the confines of a tent. They embraced each other, and the man led her to the bed._

_Once again he found himself within Madari, but the scene was a different one from what he was accustomed to. Bodies lay scattered on the floor, buildings turned to rumble. Clouds of dust filled the air and black birds hovered high above. In amidst of the chaos, a man stood clothed in chainmail, his skin a sickly pale. His eyes were dull and his breathing shallow. He coughed blood then dropped to one knee. He arched his neck back and glared up at the sky, roaring at the top of his lungs._

_The scene in Madari changed to a similar scene in a different kingdom. A woman with blue hair sat upon a high chair, her slaves seated around attending to her every need. The head of a male sitting on top of a pike stood behind her chair for all eyes to see. She opened her mouth and addressed a large of crowd of soldiers who greeted her words with a mighty roar._

_Soon, he saw the great wall looming over a small military base. A grey hooded man stood atop of the structure, his eyes firmly fixed on the advancing army before the wall. The leader of Aduri's face was a crestfallen, but he raised his sword high and ordered his men to attack. The battle lasted for hours but there was only one victor. The banner of the eagle lay torn on the floor covered in blood as the enemy continued to advance._

_A young male on the chubby side wandered through the deserted plains with only a camel at his side. The mammal carried two large brown bags, both hanging on either side. Grieving, the male led the camel in an unknown direction, the only sound being his footsteps and quiet sobs. A trail of blood, shadow and death followed his every move._

_The pink haired girl he had seen earlier appeared again, this time lying face down on the floor. She was stripped bare of all clothing while a blond male circled around her, a bloody knife in his hand. The woman cried, struggled to fight back, as he lowered himself on her, but he held her firmly in place. The flaps of the tent closed, but Kai could hear her tormented cries of pain and terror from within._

_Once again the vision changed and this time he saw himself. He was alone shrouded in blackness. No kingdoms, no people, nothing but pitch black. All he could see was the amulet resting in the palm of his left hand, a strange glow of purple emanating from it. Brooklyn's voice spoke to him, calling his name from somewhere in the darkness._

Soon, the vision faded and he found himself staring at the sand beneath his feet. Gasping, he looked up at Brooklyn. "What did you just show me?" Some of the people he knew, but the others were unknown to him.

"Glimpses of other important people who are tied to you in some way or another," Brooklyn casually replied. "Your actions will affect their futures. I showed you just some of the possible outcomes... some will become a reality, others will not. You'll cross paths with all of them in time."

"... You're lying. No one can predict the future."

"I wouldn't underestimate me, Kai."

"Just who... or what are you?" Kai demanded, picking himself up from the ground.

Brooklyn coked his head to the left giving Kai a questioning look. "I'm human... just like you, Kai."

Kai shook his head. "No... You're not. You created the amulet and you created the blade." The words, 'Master of Shadows' played in Kai's head. "Were you the Master of Shadows?"

There was a brief pause of silence, until Brooklyn lifted his hands up in the air. "Indeed, I am... or was. I'm much more than that now, but you can never presume to know what I am," Brooklyn replied, a sneer on his face, "so don't wear yourself out thinking too much. You should be focusing your attention on finding the Black Blade and ending the threat within the mountain. If you don't stop it, all you have come to know will cease to exist." He wagged a finger in Kai's face. "You have been warned."

"Then why don't you stop it?" Kai hissed.

With a sigh, Brooklyn continued, "If you listened to the guardian's story then you should be aware that I cannot wield the blade... only a certain individual can that person happens to be you. A man of faith. But why does it have to be a man of faith, you ask? You'll find out why as you further progress in your journey. What fun would it be if I told you everything now?" He crossed his arms over his chest. Kai turned his back to Brooklyn, his eyes focusing on the temple. He wanted to go back, retrieve Bryan and kill Brooklyn thus ending this nightmare. "You can't kill me, Kai."

Kai froze. "I never said that."

Brooklyn pointed to his own forehead. "I can sense your rage towards me." Was there anything this man couldn't do? Kai was beginning to wonder what other powers he had at his disposal. Could he turn a mortal into dust with just the snap of his fingers? "Don't think of disobeying me, Kai. I will know if you don't... and you won't like the consequences."

There was no point in arguing further. Kai couldn't compete with Brooklyn. He figured it was better to go along with Brooklyn's games then find a way to defeat him along the way. There had to be a method to overthrow Brooklyn and end this madness. "Fine. I'll do what you have asked of me... but you must fix Hilary."

Brooklyn shook his head. "Can't do that, Kai. She's part of it."

"Part of what?"

"Hilary plays a pivotal role in defeating what lies within the mountain, that's all I will say on this subject." Brooklyn stretched his arms back then continued, "You will need to head in a southerly direction. Keep going until you come across the sinking sands. You will know what to do when you arrive. Your next move will be revealed. Now, prepare yourself well for the journey, you won't be returning for quite some time. Goodbye for now... we _will_meet again." Brooklyn turned his back and walked away, his cold laughter echoing in the air.

.

And the plot begins to thicken! Can you guess who the other people in Kai's visions were? Will they become a reality? Keep on reading to find out! As always, reviews much appreciated!


	7. A Future That Will Never Be

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

DGMSilverAirHead03 for being the only person to review the last chapter! Song for this chapter is, 'Undying Love' by Two Steps From Hell

**.**

**Chapter Six: A Future That Will Never Be**

_Mariah_

Kneeling, she placed her dirty hands in the brown bucket of water, rubbing them together to remove the dirt. The once clear water turned a murky shade of brown in less than a second. She pressed her lips together and hummed a slow tune as she continued to rid her hands of the dirt that clung to them. Once clean, she pulled her hands out of the bucket and rubbed them against her white dress drying them. "You know the law forbids marriage at this age," said a stern from an elder male.

"You and Mariah belong together!" a younger male voice spoke, his voice trembling with excitement.

She grinned to herself upon hearing her name. Wrapping slender fingers around the black bucket handle, she stood up from the ground and dusted her clothes off with her free hand. The voices belonged to her friends, Kevin and Rei. Kevin was the youngest person in the village of ten and quite the handful. He had not yet reached the age of maturity and constantly had to be watched by one of the seniors. Despite his mischievous nature, he had a good heart and tried to do what he thought was best.

Rei on the other hand was quite the opposite. Quiet, but not lacking in any confidence, Rei had a stunning smile and a kind heart. She considered him as a handsome man; jet black hair fell around intense hazel eyes and his smile brought out his left dimple. He was the love of her life, but the laws of the Gods stopped them from being together. The laws stated a man and a woman could only be yoked together in marriage once they had reached the age of twenty one. Unfortunately, she was three years away from marriage and he was two. Three more years of playing it safe.

"I love her with all my heart, Kevin and I would sacrifice everything to be with her," Rei replied in a low voice, "but the law says no."

Kevin snorted. "It must be horrible being around each other and not being able to ever get together." Mariah covered a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles that threatened to escape. "How do you fight off those urges to ravish each other anyway?"

"Kevin!"

"But it's true! You two were born for each other, but law is forbidding true happiness! You should be married and looking after your children by now."

Rei sighed. "Kevin, it's the law of the Gods. We can't disobey."

"Maybe you should break the law just this once. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? The Gods are stuck within the mountain anyway, it's not like they are going to smite you down or anything," Kevin protested.

Several beats of silence passed until Rei spoke again. He cleared his throat and continued, "I am loyal to the Gods and I will serve their every law without question. Your words are bordering on blasphemy, Kevin."

"I don't care if I'm being blasphemous. Are you willing to sacrifice true happiness to remain loyal to the Gods?"

Again, there was silence. Mariah stopped all movement and strained to hear Rei's response. "Yes." She felt her stomach twist – it was as if she had taken a blow to the stomach. Not that she expected else but a 'yes'. The people of Gabij were devoted to serving the Gods to the best of their ability. It was something of a tradition passed down from generation to generation. Every action taken was done with the Gods in mind. If the action was thought to be 'disrespectful' or 'sinful', then it was not carried out.

The other surrounding kingdoms often mocked the strong faith of Gabij locals, but such faith kept them strong and free of evil. She knew those without strong faith or none at all, fell to corruption and performed sinful acts. The city folk of Madari came to mind. Sure, the High Priests made their home within their walls and performed their duties, but the normal people engaged in drinking, violence and over spending. The leader of the High Priests' son was rumoured to be heavily involved in the sinner's life. But Madari paled in comparison to the mighty kingdom of Jabaq. Situated on the opposite side of the wall, Jabaq was home to sinners and crime. It was said a dark cloud hung above the kingdom shrouding it in permanent darkness – a symbolic sign Jabaq was trouble. It made her skin crawl just thinking of the name.

The kingdom of Khakpour often trained priests to serve at the temple in Madari, but even their faith lacked. Those selected for priesthood often fell to the temptations of sin and thus turned their back on their Gods while the people of Qubo served only themselves. As for Aduri, they served with good intentions, but their faith was placed in humanity and not within the Gods. "I hope you understand, Kevin."

"I understand... but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

"Good. Why don't you go and find Gary? He was due to return an hour ago – I hope he has not gotten lost or found himself in trouble." Gary was the tallest man in the village and known for his brute physical strength, but he was softly spoken and gentle natured destroying any generalization he was a violent giant. Often, he ventured out into the desert searching for artefacts and meat from wandering animals. His absence didn't concern her though; perhaps Gary had gotten caught up in the hunting and sought more game. He would return before night fell. Despite his great hunting skills, he could not see well in the dark.

"Sure thing, Rei. I'll talk to you later." She heard Kevin's retreating footsteps and decided she would talk to Rei. She placed the bucket down on the ground, brushed her long pink hair back, then walked towards the source of Rei's voice. He was standing behind a tent, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Lost in thought?" she asked, strolling up towards him.

Rei glanced up and smiled upon seeing her. "I take it you heard every word of our conversation?"

"Nothing that was new to me," she replied, smiling. "Well, it's not like you can hide anything from me anyway," she added, eyes shining with mirth.

Rei took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to himself tightly. "I hope you didn't take any offense when I placed the Gods above us."

She shook her head. "Of course not, why would you think that? I know you are faithful towards the Gods. We both are and that's important in a world lacking of faith." She pressed her head against his chest, and let him run his hands through her hair. She could feel his heartbeat quicken.

"Three more years until you are of age and then we can finally be together," he said, pulling back from her. "Can you wait that long?"

She nodded, causing a strand of hair to fall in front of her left eye. She lifted a hand towards her face, but Rei reached first. He brushed it away fixing his gaze on her face. "I am going to speak to Tao and convince him the law can be overlooked just this once," she said, staring up at him.

"But Mariah... you know he will not..."

"Three years is too long, Rei, I do not think I can wait that long."

He gripped her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. "Mariah, we can't anger the Gods. We must obey their laws and understand they know what's best for us. These laws are to guide us from doing wrong."

"I know... but three years... three years, Rei. We are practically together already, why not make it official?"

"All good things happen in due time, we can't force it to happen. Have patience, Mariah. You and I will be together." He embraced her again, and she melted within his arms. Rei was right. There was never a moment he was wrong. She nodded again, "I still wish to speak to my grandfather though."

"Alright... but you won't change his mind." Mariah led Rei towards a tent made of bear skin – it was the only tent within the village made with this skin. All the other tents were built out of deer and rabbit hide. She walked through the tent flaps while Rei waited outside. She spotted her brother Lee trading words with Tao, the village elder. He was also her grandfather and known for his unique powers in interpreting visions and dreams. His magic had been passed down to his grandchildren. Lee inherited the power of contacting people through their dreams while Mariah could see brief glimpses of the future when there was a full moon. "Grandfather, can I please speak to you?" Mariah asked, walking up towards the short old man.

Tao was half her height, but his lack of centimetres did not lessen his authority. Dressed in a long black robe, and supported by a long walking stick in his right hand, Tao was standing on a chair glancing down at a bronze amulet resting on a table. "This is the Amulet of Stealth," he said, ignoring Mariah's presence.

Lee lowered his head and brought it closer to the amulet, his nose just a centimetre away from the surface. "Looks like any old piece of jewellery to me," he replied, then pulled his head back.

"Do not be mistaken by its design, Lee. This amulet holds great power." Tao lifted the amulet up into the air and held it before Lee's face. "Its powers can be unlocked with the right man." Mariah cleared her throat making her presence known. Both Tao and Lee turned their heads in her direction. It was Tao who spoke first, "Ah, Mariah you have arrived just in time. I was showing Lee the amulet I plan to give to Rei as a gift of his faith."

Lee's mouth dropped open, as Mariah moved closer towards the table. "You're going to give the amulet to Rei? I'm your grandson!" He folded his arms over his chest and glared.

"The boy has faith," said Tao, speaking in a flat tone.

"I have faith too! I serve the Gods wholeheartedly!"

Tao brought a free hand to his lips. "Your faith is not strong enough. Rei's faith is unlike any I have ever witnessed."

"What makes him so special? We both perform our duties."

"Rei _believes _in the Gods, Lee. You _serve _the Gods, but do not love as you should." Tao turned his head to face Mariah, "even your sister does not share the same amount of faith Rei has."

That much was true as much as Mariah hated to admit. At times she questioned the laws of the Gods – was it worth spending this amount of time on beings that were trapped within a mountain? Sometimes she wished for things to happen and they never did. Moments like these invoked a brief fury within her; she cursed the Gods and blamed them for the grievances occurring in the world. The Priests of the Circle said the Gods listened to their followers, and promised the Gods would favour them when they are released.

But would the Gods ever be freed from their jail? She received no signs of this ever happening in her glimpses of the future. But Rei never spoke ill of the Gods; he spoke of them with love. A different love than the one he showed to her, but it was just as powerful, if not more. She wished she had his undying faith. "Do not argue with me my dear grandson, I have made my choice. Rei will receive the Amulet of Stealth and he shall be the one to unlock its power when the time is right."

Lee snorted, then crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean, 'when the time is right'?"

"There is war brewing on the horizon and in time the great wall will fall. The soldiers of Jabaq will invade our lands and destroy everything in their path in their quest of dominance and power, unless we stand together and stop them," Tao spoke softly as he placed the amulet back on the table. "Powers will need to combine as one to stop the evil from spreading."

"What powers do you speak of? Surely, you do not speak of the Wild Mages of Qubo?" Lee questioned.

Tao shook his head. "The Wild Mages are strong, but they have no strong leader. They are not concerned with the war, only with their own quest for power. No, they will not aid us in battle. The powers I speak of belong to four amulets, one of which I hold right here."

Lee's eyes fell to the amulet on the table. "And how is an amulet going to stop a great army headed by a powerful necromancer?"

"You doubt the power within the amulet? Touch it and feel its power surge through your veins."

Lee turned his head and glanced at his sister, "Ladies first."

Mariah bit back down a sarcastic response and brought her hand towards the amulet. An unknown source of energy flooded her body, becoming more powerful the closer her hand came. "I can feel it..." she whispered, feeling the surges rush through her, "it's so powerful." She drew her hand back. Lee placed his hand on the amulet and drew it back sharply. "Did you feel it too?" she asked. He nodded.

"It's powerful... are you sure it's safe, Tao?"

"I would not give something dangerous to Rei." Tao turned away from Lee and faced Mariah. "I want you to touch the amulet, Mariah and tell me what you see."

Mariah frowned, and lifted a brow. "My power only works when there is a full moon."

"This amulet is made of magic. Touching it alone will ignite yours."

"Alright..." She brought her hand close to the amulet again, this time letting her fingers touch the surface of the cold stone. At first, she felt nothing. Perhaps Tao had been wrong in his assumption? But then she found herself spiralling down a hole until she found herself in a foreign landscape.

_She stood at the brink of a cliff dressed in a white dress, with strong hands wrapped around her waist. A young female of no more than five years of age stood before her, tugging at her cloth. The young child raised her hand and pointed towards the horizon where the great sun began its descent. Not a cloud could be seen in the sky; a perfect end to a wonderful day. _

"_Now, now Ling, it's just the sun dipping below the horizon, there's no need to be excited," Rei said, rubbing her head with a hand._

_Mariah chuckled softly, beaming down at her beautiful daughter. "Don't spoil her fun, Rei. She loves watching the sunset." And a beautiful sight it was. Watching the sun fall was serene and put her mind at ease. All troubles were forgotten temporarily. "Isn't it beautiful? I can never tire of watching."_

"_Yes, it makes me forget about the world around us and her troubles," Rei replied, staring at the sun. Soon, night would be upon them and danger would lurk in the dark. When the sun could no longer be seen, Rei led Mariah and Ling back into the safety confines of their hut. "A new day awaits us tomorrow; let us restore our strength for the day ahead." Mariah nodded and took her position on the bed next to her partner, heaving a sigh of content. Ling moved to small bed beside their own and tucked herself in underneath the sheets._

_The vision changed._

_Now she found herself sitting on a brown rugged cloth, with nothing else in the room but a male dressed in black robe. His face was hidden to her eyes, but she could feel his gaze wandering over her body. She averted her gaze and pulled her dress closer around herself. "What do you want with me?"_

"_Take off your dress." Panic gripped her mind. Undress? Before a stranger? Words wouldn't form, but tears fell. "Stop crying, stupid girl!" Before she could defend herself, he grabbed her garment and tore at her cloths with a dagger. He cast the strips of cloth on the floor and studied her with an impassive look. _

_Fear prompted her to speak. "Don't you dare!" she snapped._

"_Or what?" he countered before grabbing her hands, locking his fingers around her wrists. "I promise you, I will open that pretty white throat of yours before you even know what's happened if you do something stupid," he sneered, pressing his dagger at her throat. A trickle of blood ran down the wound dripping onto the floor. _

"_Help! Please! Rei!" she screamed, but no one could hear her cries._

_He brought his face close to her ear then spoke in a hushed, but dangerous tone, "You really think anybody would hear you?" He shook his head. Still pressing the dagger at her throat, he unlaced his pants with his other hand and pushed her down onto the floor then forced a knee between her legs. _

_A surge of adrenaline raced through her as her mind made sense of what was happening. "No!" she shouted, struggling violently to free herself from his grasp. Glancing into his eyes she noticed a wild expression, a mixture of cruelty, loss, madness and lust. _

"_I said, don't move!" he snapped, cutting into her skin and drawing more blood. She whimpered again, as he lowered himself onto her, holding her firmly in place. _

_She brought her leg up between his legs, causing a gasp of pain escape his throat, but his grip remained strong. "Fucking bitch!" he rasped, bringing a hand back and slapping her across the face. She felt a burst of flesh open on her lower lip. Once again she tried to struggle, trying in one last desperate attempt to free herself. He slapped her again, this time smacking her head against the ground._

_Dizziness overcame her..._

"Mariah!" a voice shouted.

Her body shuddered, tears rolling down her pale face. Cold hands touched her arm and she jumped back, eyes wide with fear. "Stay away!" she cried.

"It's Rei, Mariah. You're safe."

She drew in a sharp intake of breath then looked around, her eyes lifeless. She tried to focus, but the world seemed blurry, as if it wasn't real. Finally, her vision restored. She could see Rei now standing behind her, an expression of concern on his face. Lee and Tao also looked at her with a similar emotion. Sobbing, she threw herself into Rei's arms and cried into his chest. "It was horrible..."

"Everything's going to be alright, Mariah. We're here to protect you," he said softly, holding her close. "What did you see?"

She sobbed again. Visions of the rape replayed in her head seeming incredibly real. She felt the pain, the anguish and the terror. "I... I was alone... with... with another man..." she said, shuddering. "He... he hurt me... rap... raped me," she added in between breaths. Was this what her future had in store for her?

Rei's eyes darkened. "Who was he?"

She shook her head. "I... I couldn't see his face..." She heard him curse to himself. Withdrawing her arms from Rei, she wrapped her arms around herself and shut her eyes. Once again, the scene replayed in her mind. Such scenes would fill her nightmares for the rest of her life. "I'm scared..."

"No one will lay a hand on you, Mariah," Lee said.

"We'll put a stop to whoever haunts your visions," Rei added, hand falling to his sword hanging at his left thigh. Violence was generally frowned upon, but they were allowed to use violence in extreme cases of self-defence. He cupped her chin in his hands and gazed into her eyes, "No one is going to hurt you, Mariah. I will protect you with my life."

She nodded, brushing away tears. He seemed so convinced he could stop whomever haunted her, but she wasn't so sure. Her visions were never wrong. It was the curse of being able to see into the future and not having the power to stop them from happening. Tao looked at her with a troubled frown on his face. "That is a most disturbing sign."

Rei glanced at him sharply. "What do you mean?"

He furrowed his brows. "Mariah's visions continue to worry me. Last full moon she saw a black bird awaken from its slumber. Now she sees herself in a scene of pain and misery. I fear the wall will soon fall and death will sweep across our lands like a swarm of locusts if we do not act soon."

"What do you propose we do?" Lee asked.

"We must prepare for the worst and defend ourselves as necessary." Tao turned to the amulet resting on the table and picked it up with his right hand. "Take this, Rei and keep it close," he added, handing the amulet to Rei.

Rei wrapped his fingers around it. "The Amulet of Stealth... you are giving it to me?"

Tao nodded. "This amulet holds power and I believe you can unlock it. You must travel to the kingdom of Khakpour and speak to Judy – perhaps she can unearth the mystery within the amulet."

"I will accompany him, you can't send him out there in the world alone," Lee said, standing next to Rei.

The old man shook his head. "This is a journey Rei must undertake alone." His eyes fell to the sword at Rei's side. "He has his weapon, but his faith alone will protect him from harm."

"...oh Rei..." Mariah said tearfully.

"I cannot leave Mariah here by herself knowing what her visions hold."

"Mariah will be looked after well, Rei. I assure you; no harm will come upon her. The Gods will protect us. No harm has come to our village since this war started... I see no reason as to why harm should come to us... at least for now. But one thing is for certain – the battle to keep the wall standing will not fall in our favour. You must ride quickly and unlock the power before all is lost."

"I will see you again soon, Mariah. Remain strong for me," Rei said, giving Mariah a soft kiss on the cheek. She closed her eyes and fought down a sob. Having Rei leave her at this time was distressing, but if Tao was right, Rei needed to leave. Rei tucked the amulet in the pocket of his pants and exited the tent. Knowing Rei, he most likely headed towards his tent grabbing all equipment he would need for the long journey ahead. She wondered how long it would be before she saw him again.

"Stay safe, Rei," she murmured, eyes focusing on the exit.

Lee placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rei will do fine. He's one of a kind that guy. He'll pull through and he'll return stronger than ever. His love for you drives him, Mariah as it gives him strength."

She smiled. "And my love for him keeps me strong."

.

I hope Rei/Mariah fans were happy with this chapter as you won't be seeing much more of it. Who do you suspect the guy in Mariah's vision was? Will Rei unlock the power within the amulet? In the next chapter, you will learn about the Circle of Priests from Max's point of view. As always, reviews much appreciated! Oh, and what do you think of the rating? I don't classify this story as M-rated yet, but I'd like to know your thoughts.


	8. Truth and Lies

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to DMGSilverAirHead03 for being the only person to read the past two chapters at the time of this update. The song for this chapter is, 'Remember Me' by Thomas Bergersen (of Two Steps From Hell)

**.**

**Chapter Seven: Truth and Lies**

A ray of sunlight shone through the open rafters, splashing onto the bed sheets covering a young blond boy. He twitched in his sleep, murmuring words when a loud knock on the door caused his eyes to open. He groaned, and pulled the bed sheets over his head. "It's too early..." he mumbled.

"Max!"

Groaning again, Max sunk lower underneath his bed sheets. He placed a finger in both ears, and tried to shut out the sounds of outside distractions. All he wanted to do was sleep.

"Max! Don't make me drive my sword through your door!"

Max giggled in his sleep. As if anyone would be crazy enough to drive their sword through a wooden door... He ignored the threat. A bad mistake. "What the heck?!" he shouted, bolting upright on his bed. His head jerked towards his door where a blade was poking through the gaps.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" Hoisting the bed sheets around his naked body, Max stumbled over towards the door. He placed a hand on the lock, pulled back the nail and opened the door. A male with auburn hair and mischievous blue eyes glanced down at him, a wide smirk appearing. "Michael? What are you doing here? And why are you up so early?"

"Your mother told me to wake you up and bring you right to her." He glanced sideways at Max. "Have you forgotten what day it is?"

Well, it wasn't his birthday that's for sure. He never forgot his own birthday. He rubbed his blood shot eyes. "What day is it?"

Michael let out a long whistle. "Are you serious?"

"Just tell me."

"It's your last day in Khakpour!"

Last day... what was Michael talking about... then it hit him. It was his last day as an apprentice. For fifteen years he had remained within the walls of Khakpour studying the ways of the priests. He studied scripture, he practiced rituals and he learned the art of priest magic. It involved a simple prayer and touching the object with the palm of his hand. Divine energy would travel through his veins and heal his target of any illness. Of course, such magic didn't come at a cheap price; it drained him of energy and left him bedridden for a week. "I... had forgotten..."

"Put some clothes on, Max. I'll wait for you outside." Michael turned around and headed back outside, closing the door behind him to give Max some privacy.

Max yawned, then walked to his wardrobe to retrieve his favourite white robe. Today he would leave for the great kingdom of Madari. It didn't take him long to dress; in under five minutes he was fully clothed. Once done, he headed back outside where Michael awaited him. "I'm ready. Take me to my mother." Michael nodded and led Max through the long winding limestone halls. Fortunately, the corridors were empty lessening the time it took to get to his mother's room.

"I guess you're keen to finally this city's walls and explore the world outside," Michael started, glancing back over his shoulder.

"I've waited fifteen years, Michael. Fifteen _years,_" he repeated. He looked towards the door and noticed it was open. "Let us enter, best not to keep my mother waiting." Judy was the lady of Khakpour and known for her passion in studying the laws of religion and the existence of the Gods. For decades she had spent long hours researching a way to unlock the mysteries within the mountain, but still she found nothing. She ruled the kingdom, but her attention was focused on her studies and as a result, the kingdom was in a state of disorganisation.

Soldiers were trained, but never fought in battle. They remained within the city walls patrolling the streets keeping an eye out for criminals. Peasants roamed the streets carrying out their daily roles, but many were left penniless and homeless. Some turned to crime, while others spent their time in prayer. But Judy did not care; as far as she was concerned, unlocking the great mysteries of the Gods was more important than her own people. "Yeah, you have a point. Fifteen years is a long time... man, I don't know how you survived for so long. You know, my mother actually considered signing me up to become a priest at one stage," Michael said, giving Max a lopsided grin.

"You, a priest?" Max replied, eyebrows arched.

He nodded. "I know crazy right? The clothing was bland, but the life itself... too much sacrifice. You trade fun for knowledge. Not my kind of way to spend my life. So I got kicked out after pulling Emily's hair," he added, chuckling. "Mother realized I wasn't built for such a mundane life so she put me in the military instead."

Becoming a priest was a true test of character. It took great control to resist the basic desires of human nature and resist the urge to indulge in 'sinful' behaviour. A priest in-training was not allowed to have romantic relations nor partake in drinking and gambling activities. For their own safety, in-training priests were locked inside a study room under the watchful eye of a scholar. An hour break was given to allow the priest to communicate with selected few soldiers, but otherwise they were socially cut off. Only males were allowed to join the ranks of the priesthood as females were required to play the roles of a priest's keeper. This involved tending to the priest's every order; cleaning his clothes, cooking his meals and other similar activities. Only the poor accepted such a role. "More glory for me then," Max replied, smiling. "I have no competition to worry about when I join the Circle."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Is that what you consider glory? Sitting on your knees all day and mumbling strange words in front of a statue? I think of glory as winning a battle on the open field and saving a kingdom from becoming ruin."

"We don't do that," Max replied, frowning. "Priests run the order of a kingdom and determine the laws and cast judgement on the faithless." Or at least that's what he had been told during his studies. The Priests' Circle was made up of men of different generations. Currently, there were three in all the lands. Boris, Raul and Zeo, which were ruled by the sole High Priest, Voltaire. Once, there had been four but one had betrayed the Circle and became the leader of Jabaq.

"From what I have heard, the priests in Madari aren't doing much. They rarely come out to play."

Max narrowed his eyes. "The life of a High Priest is a difficult one, it requires great discipline and devotion to the Gods. I'm sure the Circle work hard on solving the mysteries of Mount Dojim, while Voltaire must work on finding a method to stop Barthaz," he said.

"And what of the rest of the Circle? What do the ordinary priests do?"

"We read scripture and pray to the Gods."

Michael snorted. "Sounds pretty boring. I hear the priests never leave the temple."

"The temple is a holy ground, one chosen by the Gods themselves. A priest cannot leave this place otherwise risk angering the Gods." Again, he wasn't sure if it was fact, but it did sound reasonable. High Priest Voltaire never the temple; he wasn't even sure what the man looked like for starters. An accurate drawing of the man had never been done. Only a select few had seen him up close.

"That sounds a little stupid."

For once, Max agreed. Why didn't the High Priest leave the temple? Was that why Barthaz had left their ranks? Because he wanted to escape the restrictive lifestyle? And what of Boris, Voltaire's favourite priest? Max knew he was in charge of the military base of Madari, but he never revealed his face in public. He wore a veil to hide his features. "Maybe... but who am I to argue with the decisions of the Gods? Voltaire was chosen by the Gods to act as their representatives for mankind."

"I'll leave you here," Michael said, as they approached closer to the entrance. "Judy wants to talk to you in private. I'll catch up with you before you depart, later Max." He waved goodbye then walked away leaving Max alone standing at the entrance. A sense of happiness and sadness filled Max's head as he walked through. He was happy he finally completed his studies, but he was sad he would be leaving all he had come to love behind for good.

His mother waited for him in the centre of the room. It was a small and circular, with only two open windows on either side. Blue banners hung low from each opening with a symbol of a turtle emblazoned on them. The turtle was said to represent protection as its thick shell gave it security everywhere it chose to go. The same symbol hung around Max's neck; an amulet his mother called 'Draciel'.

"Hello mother," Max greeted, strolling towards his mother with quick fluid steps. He wrapped his arms around her.

She smiled, although her lips were thin. "Max, I am glad to welcome you on this fine day," she replied, running her hand through her son's blond hair. "You and I have much to discuss before you depart." She withdrew her arms and led Max towards a table. She pointed at the chair on the far end and sat down on the other.

Max sat down and look at his mother with a tentative look. "What is the problem, mother?"

"This is day we part ways for good," she responded, wiping her left eye. "I trust you know what lies before you."

He nodded. "I'm going to live in the temple at Madari."

Judy didn't respond and Max began to worry. Had plans changed? Her eyes fell down to the amulet hanging around Max's neck, and her lips parted to form words, "There's something I need to tell you before you leave as I fear I will never get to speak to you again until it is too late."

Max leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. "What is it mum? You're scaring me."

"How much do you know about the amulet around your neck?"

He cast his eyes down, letting them linger on the amulet. Lifting both his hands, he touched the surface of the cool amulet with his fingers. "I remember you giving it to me when I first commenced my studies fifteen years ago." Priest training started at the age of three. "You told me it was your mother's and she gave it to you for safe keeping."

Judy nodded. A strand of blond hair fell in front of her right eye, but she pushed it aside behind her ear. "Your grandmother passed it on to me before she died. She found it during a search of an ancient pyramid before it sunk beneath the sands. She found a tome as well; the Tome of Immortality."

"The Tome of Immortality?"

Nodding, she stood up from her chair and brought it closer to Max, then sat down again. "I have the book here in my room, wrapped in layers of cloth and hidden in the darkest corner. I have kept it hidden for the fifteen years of your study, but now I reveal all to you."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Judy's gaze hardened. "The tome states four amulets are needed to unlock the secret of immortality. These amulets are special and one of a kind. Each amulet has a guardian who resides within the amulet protecting the bearer from harm. Four were made by the Gods themselves long before they were trapped within Mount Dojim."

"I don't... I don't quite understand..."

"When the four amulets are combined, they must be brought to the Temple of Priests in Madari. To unlock the secret of immortality, the amulets must be placed upon the altar in a bowl of blood... the blood of a High Priest. The Gods will release the spirits and then one must drink the blood to accept the spirits within them," Judy explained, leaning forward.

"But... why would the Gods allow this?"

"The Temple of Priests is the only place a faithful person can communicate with the Gods. Why do you think High Priest Voltaire never leaves the temple? And why do you think the temple itself is forbidden to everyone but the priests themselves?" She looked at him intently, bright blue eyes boring into his own. An uncomfortable shudder raced down his spine. "This had led me to believe Barthaz knew about this and left the circle to pursue immortality."

Barthaz, the leader of Jabaq, blessed with control over the dead. He could bring slain men back to life. If he sought immortality and successfully unlocked the ritual, then that would make him virtually impossible to defeat. "High Priest Voltaire would not allow such a man to continue living if your theory is true," Max said with a frown on his face.

"Unless... it was intentional. No one knows what happens within the temple, but the priests' themselves. And the priests never leave... we are led to believe Barthaz was a traitor; that he intended to bring harm against his own people and that's why he was forced out of the circle. In his desire for revenge, Barthaz fled beyond the wall and sought assistance from the necromancers in Jabaq. But I believe there is something missing. Barthaz was a powerful man within the circle; if he were a threat it would be best to defeat him there, not let him roam the deserts."

Max rubbed his chin letting Judy's words sink in. If her theory was true then all kingdoms behind the wall were in great danger. Currently, Jabaq was their greatest known danger, but the heart of it all rested within Madari itself. People held the Priests' Circle in high regard; how would they react if Voltaire had planned this from the beginning? "What about the Gods? They can stop this!"

"Voltaire is very powerful; it was most likely he himself who placed the barrier on the mountain to stop the Gods from interfering. There is no known method to destroy the barrier and that means we have to stop Voltaire without assistance from our deities." Judy glanced over her shoulder at the entrance, then spoke again. "Do not speak of this to anyone else. If other people find out they will not believe us."

Drawing his hands away from the amulet, Max clasped them together to stop them from trembling. "What do you want me to do?"

Judy's eyes lit up with excitement unlike Max had ever seen before. "Learn what you can within the temple. There _must_ be information sealed there somewhere."

Silence fell between them. "Is this why you wanted me trained as a priest?" Max spoke, eyes hardening. "So I could get involved in something dangerous and possibly lose my life just to find out some information?" He could barely look at his mother; was he just a tool to extract information? He was her son, but she didn't treat him like one. His throat tightened, almost making it impossible it breathe. "Do I mean so little to you?"

"Max... you are my son."

He held back tears that threatened to spill. "I wasted fifteen years of my life to become a priest thinking it was a privilege, and now you're telling me the circle itself is corrupt? Are you so determined to unearth the truth you're willing to throw my life away?" He looked at her directly in the face unfathomable rage coursing through his veins.

"Max... I didn't..."

Standing abruptly from his chair, Max grabbed a goblet on the table and hurled it across the room. "You lied to me! You care more about your research than your own son!"

Judy rose from her chair. "Max! Please! Listen to me, allow me to explain myself," she pleaded.

"You have five minutes."

She nodded. "You are the most important person in my life, Max. Everything I have done is for you," she said softly, standing before Max. "I wanted you to become a priest because you are the only person capable of unearthing the truth. You have overcome obstacles only a rare few people can do. You've shown great discipline." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Max, I do love you."

His muscles relaxed, and his anger subsided. "I... I'm sorry for my outburst." He hugged his mother and sniffed, and she smiled warmly at him. "I will do what I can, but how will I send the information to you? I will not be able to leave."

"On special days, people outside the Circle are allowed to visit the priests. There's Voltaire's grandson, Kai. Hilary, the healer and there's also Bryan, a high ranking officer within the army. Speak to Hilary; she is the only person you can trust with this information."She pressed her lips against his forehead. "You must leave now; they are expecting you at the end of this week. Say your farewells quickly. Goodbye, my son."

"Goodbye, mother," he replied. Holding back tears, Max left the room. He didn't want to show his mother he was weak, but once he was outside and out of range, he wept.

.

"You were in there for a long time, is everything alright?" Michael asked, dressed in bronze chainmail. His sword hung at his side and Max wondered where he was going. Michael noticed and grinned, "You didn't think you were going to Madari alone, did you?" He jerked his head to the side towards a group of four people.

After learning about the danger that lay on the road ahead, it brought Max some relief he could at least have the chance to smile again before he departed. "Are you all coming with me?" he asked, observing the group. He spotted Rick, a dark man with a burly build, standing at the back of the group. Rick acknowledged him with a grunt, but said nothing more. Another male with a strong muscular build stood beside him; he wore a grimace on his face, but it lifted upon seeing Max.

"Only Michael and Emily are accompanying you, Max," said Eddy, the tallest person of the group. He was dark-skinned, lean and always smiling about something. "The rest of us are here to bid you farewell." He walked towards Max and stretched out his hand. "We're going to miss our little priest."

Max shook it. "I will always be thinking of my friends."

"We should probably be leaving soon, Judy made it clear to us we couldn't spend long talking," Emily said, stepping forward. Unlike the males, she was not wearing chainmail. She wore a plain black dress which looked quite odd considering the lively colours that adorned Khakpour's buildings. Blue banners were present on the tallest buildings and colourful stalls lined the street. Citizens were dressed in a wide array of colours from blue to yellow and even red. Emily was the only one in black.

"Yeah, I hate to agree with Emily but she's right. We have to leave," Michael commented, earning a glare from Emily. The other three males nodded.

"Bye, Max. Do us proud!" Rick commented.

Steve gave him a salute. "We'll be thinking of you."

"Don't ever forget us," said Eddy.

Emily grabbed Max's arm and tugged him towards her. "Let's go."

Max couldn't argue further. He waved his fond farewells and followed Michael and Emily towards the city gate. The gate was open and Max knew his mother had issued orders for the gate to be open at this time. Without looking back, Max walked through the gates. He would not step foot in this great kingdom again, and the thought made his heart ache.

.

"Do we really have to walk the entire way?" Michael complained.

Emily jerked her head in his direction. "Maybe you should've chosen something more comfortable to wear!" she snapped back. "That heavy armour you are wearing is only going to slow you down."

"This armour I wear is important. It protects me from swords better than leather ever could," he replied tersely. "I don't see why we couldn't have just taken horses... or a donkey. We've only got limited supplies as well, how are we going to survive the week long journey?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic! We have enough food to last us the week if we control our appetites. We eat and drink only as needed... that's why I am here. To ensure you boys don't die before you arrive." She stopped, and removed the brown leather bag on her shoulder and placed it on the sand. "We have pouches of water, three loaves of bread, some ale and quite a bit of fruit and vegetables freshly picked from the courtyard garden by Judy herself."

Michael looked at the ale with interest. "Well, at least there's ale. That'll help me drown out your annoying voice for the rest of the journey." His words earned him a vicious slap from Emily. He chuckled nervously, "I was joking, alright? Don't you have a sense of humour at all?"

"This is certainly going to be interesting," Max said, smiling. Michael and Emily had always argued, but he knew they were inseparable. Emily was the one with the brains, and Michael the brawn although he claimed he was just as smart as Emily, if not smarter. He turned his attention away from their bickering and looked towards the east at the great mountain range that divided their land from Jabaq. "How do you think the battle at the wall is faring?" he wondered.

"I wish I was there right now," Michael replied, looking at the mountains. "I'd love to drive my blade through the heart of one those wretched vile monsters just to wipe that smirk of Barthaz's face," he spat.

Emily rolled her eyes. "For every monster you kill, Barthaz will just resurrect another. It's a battle that can't be won."

"All generals can be defeated."

"Barthaz has powers of a necromancer, Michael. He's not a typical war leader."

"Still, he can be brought down."

Emily gave him a questioning look. "And how do you propose we achieve that?" Michael didn't respond. "I thought you wouldn't have a response. The truth is I don't see how we can possibly win against Barthaz and his army. He has humans in his army, but he also has monstrous creatures created by dark magic."

Michael snorted. "You're certainly optimistic."

"She's right though, Michael," Max said, voicing his thoughts. "Not one kingdom on our side can field an army of that size."

"Thanks for the support, Max. You're a priest – where's your faith?"

He had a response for that, but he promised his mother he would not share the tome with anyone else. "I'm just saying Emily has a good point. We can match their men in battle, but when it comes to those Faceless creatures we are sadly overpowered." Although he had not seen one, he had heard talk of the vile creatures amongst the soldiers of Khakpour. "But something has got to give eventually, right?" Max added, noticing the look of fading hope in Michael's eyes, "We'll gain the upperhand."

"I hope you are right... if that wall falls then we are all doomed," Emily spoke softly, gazing towards the mountains. Max turned away from the mountains and focused on the journey ahead. It scared him a little to think their futures depended on a small band of brave soldiers sitting behind a wall. But if he could help them in any way he would even if it meant risking his life by exposing the lies of the Circle to the public.

.

How was that for a chapter? I hope it made clear sense. Now you know a possible cause behind the war and you know about the worth of the amulets. Will Max be able to unearth the truth before it's too late? Do the Gods truly exist? Or were they invented by the priests to control population using fear? What is good? What is evil? Find out more in the next chapter! As always, reviews much appreciated! Let me know how you think the story is progressing.


	9. A Call for Blood

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

Omegaxis1 and DGMSilverAirHead03 for being loyal reviewers : ) Thanks for reviewing most chapters!

The song for this chapter is, 'Scarlet' by Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame . Hope it sets the dark mood for this chapter.

**.**

**Chapter Eight: A Call for Blood**

The stench of blood was overpowering; it was enough to make one's head spin. But she did not falter; rather she smiled at the scent. She stood in a dimly lit room with a group of soldiers. Pained screams filled the room, and it only caused the smile on her face to widen. Blood stained the floor and the walls of the chamber, and urine and other excrement covered the floors. "Where is the first victim? Bring him to me," she commanded, glancing at a far guard.

His features could not be seen due to the brown cloak that covered him fully. "Yes, Mariam." He left the chamber then returned quickly, with a young male dragging behind him.

The boy was forced forward onto his knees before Mariam. He peered up at her, dark brown eyes full of fear. "Please... show mercy..." he whimpered.

Mariam drew back her hand, and brought it hard against his face. He toppled over sideways. "What is your name?"

"Al... Alan," he said. The guard placed his hands under the boy's arms then lifted him back up on his knees.

"What are your crimes?" she demanded, emerald eyes peering into dark orbs. "Look at me when I'm speaking, boy."

The boy swallowed a mouthful of air then glanced up at her. He would consider her beautiful if not for her hardened face and unfriendly eyes. "I... I stole a loaf of bread from Ozuma." He bowed his head as if ashamed.

Mariam bent down on her knees and cupped the Alan's chin, tilting it up so she could look at his face. "Ozuma is the ruler of Qubo and you stole food from him?" She looked sideways at Dunga, a tall blond brute with green eyes, and sighed. "What should we do to him? Feed him to the dogs? Or does he deserve something far more painful?" Her gaze lingered on Alan's face as she contemplated what to do with him.

Dunga grunted. "He will face the death penalty."

At the mention of death penalty, Alan's eyes widened and he lunged forward, grabbing Mariam's feet. "Have mercy!"

Mariam kicked him away. "You deserve death for your crime," she said through clenched teeth. Then she turned to face Dunga. "Bring me the stake," she ordered.

He nodded and left to retrieve a long stake sitting upright at the far wall. He walked back with the stake in his hand and gave it to Mariam. "You're a lucky man, Alan. Your death will be quick and full of pain." She turned to the guards. "Strip him of his clothes."

Two unnamed guards grabbed Alan's shoulders tightly. One guard pulled out a dagger and started to slice through his clothes while the other held him in place. Once Alan's clothes were removed, the guard with the dagger pushed Alan face down on the ground. He placed the dagger at the perineum and made a deep incision. Alan screamed and tried to free himself, but he was firmly held down. With the stake in her hand, Mariam walked over to Alan and stood behind him. She lowered herself to the ground then placed the pole at the incision with the blunt end inserted first.

She pushed the pole upwards causing more pain to erupt within Alan. He screamed, shouted and cried, but still she continued to push. The blunt end of the pole pushed internal organs in its path to the side creating agony. Alan's fingernails scraped the floor, while tears flowed down his cheeks. "Lift him up now," she ordered, handing the pole to Dunga and the two unnamed guards.

Holding the pole vertically accused Alan to slide further down the pole, until the blunt end burst through the top of his sternum. His screams died down in volume, but sounds could still be heard. "Where shall we take him?" Dunga asked.

"Ozuma usually likes his impaled victims placed outside the city gates as decoration," Mariam replied. "That's where you'll take him... looks like the birds will be eating well today." She stepped back from Alan, then spoke again, "But do not take him away just yet. Let him watch the next victim."

Dunga released his grip on the pole and stepped beside Mariam, letting the two guards hold Alan upright. "The next victim is Carlos. He is to face judgement for harassing a female. Bring him in!" Two more guards entered the room; both were also wearing brown cloaks that shielded their features.

Carlos was dropped before Mariam, his arms and legs tied together with rope. He glared at Mariam then spat at her feet. "You will meet your end one day!"

She shrugged, and smiled sweetly at him. "Not before yours, I assure you. You will not have a trial, you will face the death penalty."

"What you are doing is wrong! People do not have the chance to defend themselves!" he cried.

She twirled a lock of royal blue hair around a slender finger, and gave him an apologetic look, "Oh, I'm sorry..." She looked at her companions. "Do you think he is guilty?"

The guards and Dunga nodded. "I saw himself myself, Mariam! He tried to touch the girl in public."

Turning her gaze back to Carlos, she smiled warmly. "See? You are guilty. Now you face death." She walked away to a shelf hiding in the darkest corner of the room, and then returned with a metal device shaped for a head. Carlos's eyes fell on the device and he fidgeted. "Keep him still, while I place this on his head."

Carlos could not fight back as his arms and legs were bound, but he still tried to struggle. Dunga held his shoulders with an iron tight grip prohibiting his movement. Mariam lowered the metal device on Carlos's head. A plate sat below his jaw, which was connected by a frame to the head cap. She placed her hand on the screw and started to turn it, pressing the bar against the cap. "No... no!" Carlos screamed, as his head started to be slowly compressed.

An ear-splitting scream erupted from the depths of his throat as his teeth were the first to shatter. Blood gushed out spilling down his clothes dying it a permanent shade of red. Mariam continued to turn the screw as Carlos' agonizing screams pierced the air. She held out her hands in front of his eyes, as they were slowly squeezed from his sockets. They fell onto her hands. "I'll be keeping this for the next victim."

Once the head was completely crushed, Mariam removed the device and let Carlos' body fall to the floor. "That has got to be my favourite," Dunga remarked, smirking at the headless body of Carlos. "Shall we feed him to the dogs?"

Mariam nodded. "Let these guards take his corpse to the feeding area. Call in the third victim." A young male with bright orange hair and grey eyes was dragged into the room. He tried to fight against his guards, but they were far too strong. "So, what were your crimes?" Mariam asked, hands on hips.

"He was caught bullying children in the streets. He demanded money," Dunga said, glaring at Foxy. "And when the child refused, Foxy resorted to violence." He curled his fingers into a fist and drove it into the side of Foxy's right jaw. The impact threw the male onto his back. A groan escaped his throat.

"Well, for that I think he is worthy of my personal favourite. Bring in the rat and a bucket," Mariam ordered, pointing at Dunga. Dunga rubbed his hands together and exited the room to grab the necessary equipment. He returned several minutes later and placed the equipment before Mariam. "Hold him down firmly." The guards holding Foxy nodded then pinned the boy's arms and legs to the ground.

Dunga grabbed one of the rats and placed it in a bucket then quickly put the item on Foxy's exposed stomach. Mariam turned around and headed out the room towards the hallway to grab one of the torches on the walls. Once she had a torch, she headed back into the torture chamber and stood before Foxy. "This might hurt... just a little," she winked, then hovered the torch flame above the bucket.

"Show mercy!" Foxy screamed. Once again, he tried to fight off the guards, but their grips were strong and unrelenting. "Arghhh! No... please!" His tortured screams echoed throughout the hallways as the rat began to eat through his flesh. His face convulsed with every bite. Soon, his screams ceased. His thrashing stopped and his breaths slowed until they were no more.

"Remove the bucket," Mariam ordered. Dunga nodded and lifted the bucket of Foxy's stomach. The rodent sat eating the remains of the stomach covered in blood. The stench filled the room, but no one felt queasy. They had grown accustomed to such activities. "Take his remains to the feeding grounds as well," Mariam added. "I am going to see Ozuma now and inform him the victims have faced justice."

.

Mariam left the dungeons and headed towards a large building built upon a small hill. The seat of power was positioned in this structure. Patches of blood covered her clothes, but she wasn't bothered by it at all. She had been bathed in blood before; this was nothing in comparison. "Mariam, I see you've claimed the lives of three more fools," a young man with dark green hair and mischievous emerald eyes strolled up to her, smirking.

"Ah, my dearest little brother. Where you were? You missed out on quite a show," Mariam replied.

Joseph rolled his eyes, then glanced at the building on the hill. "I've been entertaining our... fool... of a leader for the past hour. Do you know how many times I had to retell the same tale of the bandits being defeated by mere children?" He forced a sigh. "The man drives me crazy. Instead of making our kingdom stronger, he's happy to indulge himself in women and wine while a war wages at the wall."

She dropped her voice low as a group of soldiers walked by. "You need to be patient, brother. I seek to put an end to Ozuma's reign."

Joseph lifted both brows in response. "And how do you propose to do that? He watches you like a hawk."

"Poison.'"

"Ozuma might be a fool, but he's not that stupid."

"I'll catch him in state of weakness and he'll gladly drink the cup."

"Why act now? Why not before?"

"These herbs are difficult to find; I had to ask for... extra assistance. Two ex-bandits retrieved the herbs for me. It took them months to find the herbs. With a little magic from myself, we turned the herbs into deadly poison." She reached down into her pocket and pulled out a small bottle of crystal clear liquid. "All it takes is a drop."

"And if your plan succeeds, how will you explain his death?"

She glanced to her left, then right before speaking again, "I have a story, do not worry about me dear brother. A new leader will rule tomorrow. Tell Dunga and our other loyalists to start rooting out Ozuma's loyalists. The less of them there are to deal with, the easier this transition will be. Make it quiet though; don't make their deaths known."

A slow smirk crossed Joseph's face. "I'll get right to it. Take care of yourself, sister. Don't let him hurt you." He gave his sister a parting look, then walked towards the dungeon. Mariam watched her brother leave before continuing her walk to the seat of power. Tomorrow, she would be the one sitting in the chair.

.

Mariam entered the building and noticed the room was strangely vacant. Only Ozuma was present and as she expected, he was sitting on the throne drinking. She strolled up to him keeping her features blank. "The task is done as you have asked. The victims are dead."

Ozuma nodded, a bang of black hair falling over his green eyes. "I knew you would do the job well, my love." He reached out a hand towards her. "Come, sit down. We must celebrate." She nodded, and sat down on his lap. She felt his breath against her face. "You have done a great deed getting rid of those criminals."

"Indeed... killing criminals is a worthy deed, but don't you think we should be focusing our efforts elsewhere?" Mariam replied. "There is war beyond the wall."

"I am not going to send our men to a losing battle," Ozuma replied, running a hand through her hair.

"They will lose the war without extra assistance," Mariam retorted, glaring.

Her words were greeted with a slap in the face. "Do not forget who is ruler of this kingdom, my dear. Do not challenge my authority or I will be forced to punish you."

Mariam bit back an angry response. Patience was needed. She would get her revenge. Lull him into a false sense of security, make him think he had won then she would strike. "I am sorry, please forgive me."

He smiled. "You are forgiven. I can't remain angry at you – one look into those beautiful eyes of yours, and my anger fades." He brushed her cheek. "But you will still be punished... for speaking out of line. Come." He gently pushed her of his lap then led her to his bedroom chambers.

.

Ozuma locked the door behind him, as he stared at Mariam with a predatory gaze. His eyes lingered on her slender body, moving down then up again, fixing on her chest. "Okay, move onto the bed, and stick your ass up high in the air," he ordered, the corners of his mouth moving into a smirk. He pointed to his bed – a double sized bed covered in a fancy blood red sheet.

Mariam forced a smile, then moved to the bed. As she walked, she removed her clothes letting the garments fall to the floor. She could feel his hungry gaze watch her every move. Fighting down the urge to vomit, Mariam climbed onto the bed and got onto all fours, pushing her buttocks out and arching her back slightly. It was a situation that made her feel powerless; she didn't love Ozuma, but this was the only way she'd catch him in a state of temporary vulnerability.

She felt Ozuma's presence join her side and heard him remove his clothes. He placed his arms around her waist then pulled her back closer to him. She could feel his manhood brush against her buttocks, aroused and hard. His fingers gripped her flesh tightly. She tightened her jaw and braced herself for the next movement. His thumb strummed over her opening. Turning her head around, she beamed him a smile. Best to make him feel like she was enjoying it.

Spreading her legs apart and arching her back, she held her butt higher in the air, exposing more of herself to Ozuma. Once again, he placed his hands on her buttocks then spread them as wide as possible. He inserted a finger in, stroking the inside then slipped in two more repeating the same motion. She bit down hard on her lip; almost hard enough to draw blood, but remained quiet and motionless. Feeling ready, Ozuma pushed the tip of his member against her bottom and forced it deeply inside her. Grabbing both her sides for support, he forced himself in further, inch by inch. Mariam winced, but still remained quiet. "How do you like that, bitch?" he whispered, as he started to thrust his hips, gaining speed with each stroke.

Mariam groaned, unable to remain silent. Cold laughter reached her ears. Ozuma quickened his pace as he slammed into her harder and faster with each passing second, his balls slapping against her. Arching her back, Mariam squeezed herself around him as hard as she could and grinded herself against his sweaty body. With sweat running down his chest and dripping onto Mariam's exposed back, he continued to thrust his hips, hard and deep. "Oh fuck!" he exclaimed.

The same thrusting motion continued for several moments, as his body began to tense. She felt him throbbing inside her, then felt his warm semen filling her. Knowing it was best to remain silent, Mariam waited until the deed was done. After a couple of moments she felt him withdraw, as semen oozed out of her in a thick stream onto the bed. "You were great, baby, as usual," he whispered, tenderly brushing her cheek.

Once again, she gave him a smile despite the pain she felt. "As you were too," she replied, through clenched teeth.

He rolled off the bed. Tucking his member away, he started walking towards the door. "You really make my day, sweetie. I knew I made the right decision making you second in command." He grinned wickedly. "I'll return shortly, care to make me a drink? I have a gift for you and this is the moment to hand it over." He left the room.

She waited until Ozuma had left then she rolled off the bed then grabbed her clothes quickly covering herself up. Ozuma would return shortly; she needed to act now. She dug her hand into the pocket reaching for the little bottle of poison, then grabbed Ozuma's goblet sitting on the bedside table. Taking the lid off, she poured the liquid into the goblet. "Now, where does he keep his wine?" She scanned the room, searching for Ozuma's treasured wine bottle. Fortunately, the bottle was easy to find. It sat in the corner of the room, hidden amongst layers of clothing.

Grabbing it eagerly, she removed the lid then threw it aside. She walked to back to the bedside table and poured the liquid into the goblet, watching it mix with the poison. Fortunately, the red liquid of the wine remained the same colour. At least Ozuma wouldn't become suspicious until it was too late. She heard him return, and she quickly jumped back on the bed, holding the goblet in her hand.

Ozuma entered and once again, locked the door behind him. He carried a small chest under his left arm and Mariam wondered if that was her special present. It almost made her have second thoughts about killing him. Almost. But she was smart enough not to let this opportunity pass by. "Here is your wine, my dear," she said, presenting the copper goblet to him.

He placed the chest on the bed, then grabbed the sides of the goblet. His eyes fell on the wooden chest. "This is my gift for you; it's a magically crafted dagger. It used to be my father's. He said it could unlock any door and chest. I give it to you, have a look." He brought the rim of the goblet to his lips and took a sip of the liquid.

Mariam watched him with great interest. He swallowed the drink, and frowned. "Something wrong, my dear?" she asked, containing her excitement.

"It tastes... a bit strange."

"Perhaps it has gone off? I did it find it hidden under all those layers of clothing there in the corner," she replied, casting a quick glance towards the stack of clothing.

He nodded. "Yes... you are probably right." He took another sip, then ran his tongue across his lips savouring the flavour. So far, he hadn't shown any symptoms of being poisoned. Mariam felt a flicker of doubt – would the poison work or had she been fooled by the ex-bandits? "Take a look."

Mariam glanced down at the chest, then placed both hands on it. It looked to be locked, but the chest popped open as soon as she touched the keyhole. Surprised, Mariam drew back. "It's beautiful," she said, glancing inside the chest. The dagger was curved at the tip with symbols engraved into the steel. She couldn't quite determine what they were but she suspected it had something to do with ancient magic. Pebbles of pure gold decorated the dagger, and she knew she was looking at something special. "Thank you for this gift." She grabbed the chest, rolled off the bed and placed it on the table.

Ozuma swung his legs over the side of the bed, and walked around to join her placing the now empty goblet on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist, then lowered his head to kiss her neck. "I am glad you like i-" his words were cut off by a sharp rasping sound. His hands rushed to his neck. He scratched at the flesh, leaned forward and started to choke. "What's happening to me?!" he gasped, as a stream of bile burst through his mouth. He stumbled forward, into the hands of Mariam. "What... what did you do?"

She gazed down at him, then pushed back his hair away from his eyes. "I never loved you, Ozuma. You thought I did, but you were blind and a fool. You're not fit to rule. You are weak," she whispered. She pushed him back letting him trip over his own two feet. He landed on his backside, hands gripped around his throat.

"You..." he rasped, lifting a trembling hand. He pointed at Mariam, "...you will pay for this treachery..." More bile exited his mouth covering the floor around him. The putrid stench filled the air. "I did everything... for you..."

"You were blinded by what you thought was love." She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced down at Ozuma. "What are you going to, Ozuma? Call your men and have them arrest me?" She threw her head back and laughed. "No one knows, Ozuma. I will say it was an accident, that you slipped and fell out the window after one too many drinks."

A shudder ran through Ozuma's body, and his legs and arms jerked in various directions. His face convulsed as the poison continued to course through his veins. "The Gods... The Gods will smite you down for this..."

Mariam rolled her eyes. "No dear, the Gods do not care for us. They abandoned us long ago, left us to fend for ourselves. The other kingdoms do nothing to aid us." She bent down beside him, letting her fingers run across his cheeks. "We could have ruled this kingdom together, but you chose to push me aside instead." Placing her hands behind his neck, she lifted him up closer towards her.

"You... will fail..."

"You never knew me at all. I have ambition, something you lacked. You called yourself a leader, but what did you lead? Our kingdom is cut off from the rest of the continent. There's a war beyond the wall and we have the power to stall them, but you choose not to act. Instead you prefer to drown yourself in ale and watch the dead on their poles." She lowered her head and whispered into his ear, "You'll join them... the dead that is. We'll place your corpse on the longest pole so we can all see you clearly. Would you like that?"

Blood mixed with bile, as Ozuma struggled to form a coherent sentence. "The amulets you seek are lost... are lost to us, Mariam." He lurched forward again. "You will never find them; they are not ours to wear."

She slapped him. "I will find the amulets and that power will be mine. The secrets of immortality were created by our ancestors... and thereby ours by right."

Ozuma laughed, causing more blood to spill. The liquid covered Mariam's hands, but she didn't withdraw her hands. "You will fail," he sneered. "The men... will not follow... the rule of a woman."

Now Mariam laughed in response. She held a finger before Ozuma's face and shook it. "That's where you are wrong. My loyalists outnumber yours more than two to one. This kingdom is mine and my brother's. Together, we will bring glory where you only brought us ruin." She placed her hands underneath his arms and lifted him up from the ground. She dragged his limp body across the floor then lifted him onto the windowsill. "Take a look at your kingdom... it's the last thing you'll ever see." With all her strength, she pushed Ozuma's body out the window watching him fall until he smacked his head on the ground below.

.

Did you find that chapter interesting to read? The last few chapters have been pretty mild, so I decided to take things up a notch in this chapter. I hoped you could visualise it all happening and could feel the emotions the character felt. Will Mariam bring her people to glory or will she damn them further? How did you find the detail – would you classify it as M rated? I've never written a sex scene before so I hope it turned out alright. There might be a few more down the road as the story progresses. As always, reviews much appreciated!


	10. Live to Regret

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

DGMSilverAirHead03 and Omegaxis1 for reviewing the previous chapter. The song for this chapter is 'Brainwashed to Kill' by Epic Score

**.**

**Chapter Nine: Live to Regret**

_Kai_

Kai headed back to the temple, Brooklyn's cold words replaying in his mind. Only a man of faith could wield the black blade, but why? The question refused to leave him. Did that mean any man could wield the sword if he had faith? Brooklyn seemed convinced Kai was the only one who could do it. Was it because he was related to a High Priest? So many questions, yet so little answers. His head began to hurt.

"Kai! I was worried you had disappeared!" Bryan remarked, rushing over to Kai, his clothes stained in red. "Hilary is still awake, but she's in great pain. We must inform Boris of the trouble that occurred here. He will be able to help her," he suggested.

What had Brooklyn said about Hilary? Something about Hilary playing a pivotal role in defeating the whatever hid in the mountain. She couldn't be healed, at least not by normal means. Whatever Brooklyn had done to Hilary could only be unmade by him. "Yeah... that's a good idea. Boris will know what to do." He turned away from the temple, trying to block out the tortured cries of Hilary from his mind.

The journey to the military base was not a long one. A stretch of sparse desert separated the two, but the base was clearly visible from the ground of Madari. "Where did you go anyway, Kai?" Bryan asked.

"I thought I caught the person who attacked Hilary," Kai said, scratching his arm. "I got a glimpse of him, but he ran away before I could drive my sword through his heart."

Bryan spat at the ground. "Damn! That bastard might try and attack us again."

"If Boris sends his elite guards to patrol Madari, I'm sure he won't attempt another attack. Not when the place is heavily guarded," Kai reasoned. He certainly hoped Brooklyn wouldn't attack again. He was the Master of Shadows... who knew what his true abilities were? One thing was certain. He didn't want to be around when Brooklyn chose to strike.

"Yeah, you're right."

They continued to cross the land, the hot sand burning beneath their feet. Although the walk was short, it was exhausting. Kai brought the back palm of his hand against his forehead, wiping away sweat beads. Bryan panted beside him, dragging his legs across the sand. Soon, they reached the gate of the military base. Kai turned to face the guards, "Open the gates."

The guard didn't even respond. He opened the gates allowing the two males to walk through. Once inside, the gates were closed behind them. "We need to head to the military headquarters. Boris will be inside," Bryan said.

"I know that, Bryan."

Bryan shrugged. "Sorry, it's a habit. I'm used to barking out orders."

Kai led the way to the military base which was located across from the tavern. He wondered if Tala was at the tavern still making jokes at Ian's expense while drinking himself into a stupor. Tala might be a respected soldier of Madari, but he enjoyed drinking more than he did fighting. He pushed thoughts of Tala aside, then faced the military base building. It was guarded by soldiers who stood motionless outside its walls. A nearby guard acknowledged Kai and Bryan with a nod, and moved out of the way allowing them to step inside. As soon as they set foot, a cold voice spoke, "Kai, Bryan, I trust there is a good reason for this interruption?"

Kai turned to the source of the voice. A man dressed in black hooded robes sat behind the table, a book lying before him. Although his face was hidden, Kai could feel the man's eyes staring at him. "Boris, we bring you news of an attack in Madari. The healer Hilary and her apprentice, Kenny, were both found lying on the temple. Kenny was found unconscious and Hilary was conscious, but in poor health. I found the attacker, but he fled before I could stop him," Kai explained.

"You say you saw the culprit. Describe him to me."

Bryan looked at Kai. Kai cleared his throat then spoke, "He was dressed in black robes, but I saw his face. He has orange hair."

Boris was silent. Kai wondered if he was thinking about his plan of attack. "I will send Tala and a group of soldiers to visit the temple. Tala can take the victims to the High Priest for healing."

Kai almost sighed with relief. Voltaire would fix Hilary. "Thank you, Boris. With your permission, we will take our leave."

Boris didn't speak any more words, and Kai took his silence as a yes. As he turned around to leave, Boris spoke up again. "There is a task I want you to do for me."

"What task do you ask of us, Boris?" Bryan asked.

"Take a group of soldiers and attack the village outside these walls. The leader, Garland, refuses to pay us the monthly fee for using our resources. He is overdue by a week. Do not negotiate with him – take his people as prisoners and bring them to our base. Those who refuse you may kill. That will send him a clear message his disobedience will not be tolerated," Boris ordered.

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh? Perhaps they can't afford to pay the fee no longer?" Bryan asked.

"You _will _do as I command."

It wasn't an order; it was a statement. Kai knew better than to disagree with one of the disciples of the Circle. He nudged Bryan in the ribs and whispered, "We should do as he asks. We don't want to anger the Gods."

Bryan opened his mouth to argue, but cringed at Boris' hidden features. He nodded. "We will do as you command." Together, both Kai and Bryan walked out the door, feeling a little uneasy about what just transpired.

.

"We're going to head to the nearby village and force Garland to pay the fee," Bryan ordered, standing before a small group of armoured soldiers. Kai stood at his right remaining silent as Bryan issued the orders. "We are to take as many villagers as we can and bring them to the dungeon. Those who resist must be killed immediately."

The soldiers murmured in agreement. "What of the women and children?" a male with blue hair asked, his blue eyes narrowed.

"We take them as our slaves!"

The men cheered.

"Then let us be off!" Bryan thrusted his sword up into the air, pointing the tip towards the sun. Once more, the men cheered then followed Bryan outside the city gates into the desert once again.

"That was a short speech," Kai said, drawing out his sword.

"I'm not one for long speeches," Bryan replied. "Nor am I one for long walks."

Kai smirked. "Then we are in luck. The village is just over there," he said, pointing towards the horizon. Tents made of animal hide lay around the ground in what appeared to be in a circle shape. A tall thin smoke cloud appeared in the middle, made by what Kai suspected to be a campfire. "So, we attack immediately?" he asked, fingering his blade with eager anticipation.

"We'll hear Garland out first, let him explain himself. Then we shall attack and cover their sand with the blood of their people," Bryan replied. "Ah, there is the man we seek," he added, pointing towards a tall man with long grey hair. He wore simple rags and held no form of weaponry in his hands.

"Please! Spare our village!" Garland asked.

Bryan pointed the tip of his sword at the man. "You haven't been paying your fees."

"Your leaders have raised the costs too high! We can no longer afford to pay."

"We pay you good money for your work and you are telling me you do not have the coin?" Bryan argued. "You are looking for excuses, nothing more. Where are you hiding the money?"

Garland held up his hands before him. "We are not hiding our coins! Why would we hide the coin we have been given?"

Bryan moved closer. "You would hide the coin to ensure you have wealth of your own. Enough wealth to eventually leave this village and seek a life elsewhere. Show me the chest or we will be forced to draw blood." He kept the sword pointed at Garland, and motioned for his men to move forward.

"I will not show you the money as we do not have any."

Bryan curled his fingers into a fist, then drew it back and punched Garland. Garland staggered back. "Something tells me you are lying. We're going to have to do this the hard way then. Men! Attack!" Bryan shouted, "but leave this one alive. Boris will want to speak to him." He punched Garland again, knocking him back down onto the ground.

Kai rushed forward, with his blade drawn. He charged towards the nearest tent, then drove his sword through the flap of hide tearing it apart. A woman and her son screamed. Kai jumped through the tear, pushing aside the hide. The woman urged her son to run while she stood her ground. "This doesn't have to end bloody. Come with our men and they'll take you to the kingdom unharmed." He held out his hand.

She spat at his offer, wild brown curls falling around her round face. "You take what you do not deserve."

"We own you!"

"You do not _own _anyone!"

"The only reason you have a home outside the city walls is because we granted you a piece of land. We protect you from harm and we pay you good coin to work," Kai argued. "At the end of each month, you pay us back."

She walked up to him. "No mortal man owns these lands. _She _owns them."

Kai lowered his sword. "She?"

The woman nodded. "She is the creator of life."

"You speak of the Gods."

"Not the Gods, but a God."

Kai raised his sword again, feeling anger course through his veins. "Everyone knows we have multiple Gods."

The woman touched his hand, drawing Kai closer to herself. The smell of cheap wine filled his nostrils. "She watches over you as we speak and she will lay judgement on you. A dark path awaits you," she hissed, "You will-ugh!" She stumbled backwards, blood leaking out of the corners of her mouth. Hands fell to the sword embedded in her stomach before she fell onto the ground, groaning.

Kai pulled his sword out of her stomach, panting. "Crazy bitch," he mumbled. He kicked her body, then turned around searching for the next victim. To his right, he spotted two other men cornering two young teenage boys into a corner. One of the boys tried to escape, but he was brought down quickly. Kai turned away only to look into the face of another person. The woman's son had returned.

"I saw what you did to my mother! You will pay!" he cried, lunging forwards.

Kai evaded the attack with ease, letting the boy stumble forwards. Turning around, he used the side of his sword to knock the boy over. He landed face first into the sand. Kai spun around, swung his leg back then brought it forward aiming his foot into the side of the ribcage. The boy shouted. Kai bent down beside the boy and pulled his head back. "You dare challenge me? You are unarmed."

"You will pay for the blood you have shed!"

"Maybe one day, but not today," Kai replied. He released his grip on the boy, then drove his sword through the back of his neck silencing his cries immediately. He stood up and looked around. Frightened onlookers watched him from their tents. Kai smirked. Cowards. All of them. "Surrender now and your lives will be spared! Resist and die."

The villagers stood still. Paralysed with fear Kai suspected. Two people, a boy and a girl no younger than thirteen, moved forward. "We surrender..."

Kai lowered his sword and moved forward. Cries of dying people surrounded him, but he did not stop. He bent down before the two siblings and smiled. "The kingdom will treat you well. You are not at fault for what has occurred today." Kai glanced over his shoulder, catching the eye of a nearby soldier. "Ensure these kids reach the kingdom unharmed. Kill the rest."

Upon hearing those words, villagers began to panic. People rushed back and forth in an attempt to confuse the soldiers, but only succeeded in angering them further. A young woman rushed past Kai. Kai grabbed her by her hair and pulled her back. Screaming, she tried to free herself from his firm grip but he was far too strong. He turned her around, grabbed her arm then drove a sword into her belly.

"Kai!" Bryan shouted, sprinting over to him. "One of the men found the chest! Hurry!"

He followed Bryan, ignoring the one sided battle happening around him. Screams of dying women and children faded into the background, as he drew closer to the chest. Once he reached it, he noticed a young girl with light pink hair sitting in front of the chest. A soldier held a sword at her pale vulnerable throat. "Shall I kill her now?"

Bryan shook his head. "Leave us. Take any prisoners back to the kingdom. Kai and I will look after the rest." The man nodded and left the area. Bryan fixed his gaze on the girl. She was skinny; so skinny her clothes would barely fit.

"Leave her alone!" a young child yelled, his dark eyes burning with malice.

"Get out of my way, kid," Bryan said.

"No!" The kid lunged. His attempt was brave yet foolhardy. He was only half Bryan's height and did not share Bryan's bulk. Bryan easily held the kid back.

"What is it with these people?" Kai said, remembering the woman and her son that attacked him. "They're all mad."

"More of a reason why we ought to kill as many as we can," Bryan said, bringing a fist against the side of the kid's head throwing him to the ground. "He won't be waking up again." Now he turned his attention to the girl again.

She looked up at them. "The coin you seek is not here," she spoke in a soft voice.

"What's in that chest?" Bryan demanded.

"It is not for your eyes to see."

Bryan lunged forward, grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her up. "I'll ask again, what's inside the chest?"

"I will not speak its name."

Bryan forced her head down, smacking it against the hard surface of the chest. A gash appeared and blood began to leak. "Tell us what's inside the chest and I will spare you your life."

She ignored him, instead turning her head towards Kai. _The chest can't be opened by normal means. _Kai eyes widened. He brought a hand to his head. Was he hearing things? _I am communicating with you with my mind. Your friend can't hear us. What I have to say is for you alone._

"Kai!" Bryan shouted.

Kai ignored Bryan, staring at the girl. "What do you mean?"

"Kai?" Once again, Kai ignored Bryan. Bryan brought the girl's head against the chest again, causing more blood to flow. "What have you done to him?!" he spat.

The girl closed her eyes, and arched her neck back. A white glow emanated from her knocking Bryan off his feet. He fell to the ground in a lifeless slump. "Bryan? Oh shit!" Kai fell to his knees, and crawled over to Bryan. "Bryan! Bryan!" He shook his friend, but Bryan did not awaken.

_Your friend is alive and well. He was becoming a nuisance._

"Bring him back now or I will kill you where you stand!"

_You kill me now and your friend will never awaken. I would be careful where you aim your threats, young Kai._

"How did..."

_I know all things. I see all things. I can read your mind._

He tried to form words but not words would come out.

_Do not be afraid. I am here to help you. You can stop it._

Now he found the courage to speak. "You're not the only one who has said that. I have to stop whatever lies in the mountain, right? Stop the Gods."

_I do not speak of the Gods._

"But..."

_The amulet around your neck holds great power, a dark power so great even the Gods fear it. You believe the amulet is your destiny, but it is your doom. I fear its power has already begun to twist your mind, but it is not too late. Give the amulet to me and you will be saved. Refuse and your fate shall be sealed._

Kai's hands moved to the amulet hiding underneath his shirt. He couldn't part with it... not yet, anyway. Brooklyn promised there would be consequences if he refused to obey his orders. He hated to think what that would be. "I can't remove the amulet, I need it to find the Black Blade otherwise he will destroy everything." Why was he telling her this? It didn't matter anyway. She could read minds... or so she claimed.

_You can't trust the words of a broken mad man. He seeks to destroy the world by using you to obtain the sword. But you can choose to resist by removing the amulet and giving it to me. I will protect you from his dark power._

"Who are you anyway? Or should I ask what?"

_My name is Matilda. I am a mage._

Kai's hands tightened around the amulet. "What will you do with the amulet?"

_The chest is empty. I will place the amulet here in this chest. Only I can unlock it. It was made to trap evil._

If he gave her the amulet then there would be no need to venture out on a quest and obtain the sword. But was she telling the truth? She was obviously a mage – non-magical folk couldn't communicate with their minds. And she was wise that much was apparent. She knew about the Black Blade and she knew about Brooklyn. But why did she want the amulet? A thought not related to the mountain occurred to him. "Can the amulet be used to stop Barthaz and his army?"

If the amulet had great power then surely it could be used to defeat Barthaz and his army from conquering the world? Surely, the girl couldn't fault him for wanting to end the Jabaq threat. The Black Blade didn't have to be only used on the mountain... or at least, he assumed so. If he could find this blade and use it against Barthaz, the traitor... he would be the hero of Madari. Everyone would praise him.

The girl did not respond.

"You claim to know everything, so please tell me if the amulet can be used to stop Jabaq."

_Yes, it can._

"Then I will use the amulet to end this war."

_The amulet will corrupt you before that time comes. Give the amulet to me._

Her insistence for the amulet was beginning to make Kai think twice. "I'm not going to give it to you." He took a step back, drawing his sword before him. "I will not take the risk in trusting a stranger. You may be a mage of great power, but I can't know if your intentions are pure. Powerful artefacts should never fall into the hands of mages."

_You are making a mistake._

"No... I don't think I am. Bring back Bryan now."

_You will live to regret this._

She laid a hand on Bryan's forehead and muttered a few words. Bryan lurched forward, gasping, eyes wide open. Immediately, he retrieved his sword and picked himself up from the ground. "What happened?!" he demanded.

Kai pointed at Matilda. "She's a mage. She cast a spell on you."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. She didn't hurt me."

"I'm going to drive this sword through her heart for what she did!" Bryan snapped, pointing his sword at the girl.

Looking at the girl, Kai heard her words repeat in his head. You will live to regret this. Six simple words, yet they carried a threat. "She's right about one thing, Bryan. That chest will not open. I say we take it back home... and kill her." He drew his sword.

She closed her eyes. "Then so be it. Kill me and damn yourself."

Kai tightened his fingers around the hilt of his blade, then thrusted it forward into her heart. She didn't even offer a grunt of pain. She fell back on the ground lying still as the last breath escaped her body. Kai pulled back his sword and wiped his brow. "We are done for the day I think. There is nothing more we can do here."

Bryan nodded. "Boris will get his money eventually. Garland will break and the money will be ours." He put back his sword in his sheath hanging on the left thigh, then brought a hand to his forehead. "I think I'm coming down with a cold," he mumbled.

"Right now?"

He nodded again. "Yeah. Perfect timing, right? Come on, let us head back and inform Boris of our discoveries." He led the way back towards the city gates, with his men tagging behind. Only three people from the village accompanied the soldiers back. One of them was Garland, and the other two were siblings he spoke to before. He turned back to the village. Tents were torn down. Bodies were broken and bleeding scattered around the sand. A scene of chaos and destruction. A contrast to the place it was once before.

As they walked back, Bryan started to fan himself with his hands while the soldiers talked amongst themselves about the bloodshed. Kai ignored their trivial conversation and watched Bryan with concern. "Running a fever?"

"My head... burns."

"You're probably coming down with some sort of flu," Kai replied. "You won't be spending time at the tavern tonight with the boys that's for sure," he added, giving Bryan a mocking sympathetic look.

Bryan didn't share his humour. "Something... just... doesn't feel quite right."

"You are sick, Bryan. That's normal."

Bryan staggered forward some more, then dropped to his knees, face lying down in the sand. "Oh shit, Bryan!" Kai shouted. Soldiers gathered around Kai and Bryan. "Something's wrong! We need to bring him to my grandfather, quickly now." He cast his gaze back down on Bryan again. Bryan's face convulsed. Froth leaked out of the side of his mouth, spilling onto his clothes. "Hang in there, Bryan. We're going to get you help." As the soldiers hurried to lift Bryan up from the ground, Kai heard Matilda's works echo in his mind.

_You will live to regret this._

Was Matilda behind this? Had she truly perished and passed on to the otherworld? Was she haunting them now, slowly infecting them with her spirit? Is this what she had meant by her words? Had he damned them all? He felt an uncomfortable shiver run down his spine. "Kai? We can't hang around. Bryan needs our help."

"Yeah... come... let us depart this place."

.

What is wrong with Bryan? Has Kai doomed them all? You'll find out more in the next couple of chapters, but the next one will be about Robert again. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated – tell me how the story is going, are you enjoying it? Is it gory enough? Not gory enough? Who do you like? Who do you not like? What theories do you have?


	11. There is Always Hope

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

DGMSilverAirHead03 and Omegaxis1 for reviewing the previous chapter at the time of thisupdate. The song for this chapter is, 'We Will Not Yield" by Epic Score.

**.**

**Chapter Ten: There is Always Hope**

_Robert_

"Why would he do such a thing?" Robert asked, pacing back and forth in the main office.

Enrique shrugged. "He's always been a brute. This was his chance to seek a new life for himself," he said, fingering the scar on his cheekbone.

Robert ceased his pacing. "I've never given him a reason to abandon me. I gave him status. He is one of the elite soldiers of the Wall and now he's left with our prisoner!"

For the past week, Robert had refused to partake in training drills and soldier feasts. Instead, he remained in his office sitting behind his table, staring at the large sheet of paper lying before him. On the paper was a list of names, ranks and birthplace of each soldier of the Wall. When a soldier died, Robert would cross him off the list so he could send his family his condolences. But no soldier had left the Wall. When a man swore an oath to fight on the Wall he was there until victory was achieved or until death took him.

"Robert, there's nothing you can do about it now. Johnny never wanted to be here anyway, it was only because his family had to repay a debt to you," Enrique explained, standing in front of Robert.

"Don't blame yourself, Robert. None of us could have predicted this," Oliver said.

Robert sat down behind his desk, his face buried in his hands. Things were going from bad to worse for his men on the wall. The capture of Mystel had boosted the morale of the soldiers, but now that Johnny had left with the prisoner, the morale had dropped to an all time low. Soldiers tried to wear a brave face but Robert knew inside they were broken. "We are fighting a war we can't possibly win," he said, after a few long moments of silence.

Enrique shook his head. "We fight for a noble cause Robert."

The commander looked up briefly. "I am tired."

"You can't lose hope," Oliver said, coming to the aid of his friend. "We don't fight because we are forced to... we fight out of honour and love for our leader." His eyes narrowed. "You are the reason the men hold it together, Robert."

Robert rubbed his temples. "Every day we fight, but it brings us no closer to victory. We remain in the same position as yesterday. What do we fight for?"

"We fight for freedom," Enrique said through clenched teeth. He was standing before the table now glaring down at his commander. He laid his hands down roughly on the surface. "If we do not fight, then the world ends. This Wall we defend is the only thing that is stopping Barthaz and his army from destroying the other kingdoms. If we lay down our weapons now we will doom us all."

Silence. The voice of a lady singing filled the room. "_We fight for honour, we fight for freedom. To surrender is never an option." _The song of victory, taken directly from Robert's ancestors. They never gave up fighting even when the odds were against them.

"Johnny might have left us, but he is not the carrier of hope," reasoned Oliver.

"We lost our prisoner and our chance to learn more about the threat."

Enrique slammed his fist on the table. "Stop acting like this war is over. It's only over when this Wall falls and your men leave. But the Wall still stands... and the soldiers still fight for you." Robert could see the rage clearly evident on his face. There was a deep cut on his cheekbone that would be there for life. Scars of battle, a reminder of the terror they faced everyday.

"And what if the Wall falls? My ancestors would be ashamed of me. They kept the Wall from crumbling until their death. It would bring great shame to the Jurgen name if I fail," Robert retorted.

"The war we fight gets tougher all the time. Barthaz's power continues to grow. The things he is capable of now... he could not do in the time of your grandfather," Oliver reasoned. "You are the commander, Robert. You are our leader. If you show signs of defeat, the men will feel it too then the battle will be lost."

Silence again. Robert stood up abruptly from his chair and walked over to the window. He peered out, his eyes falling on the Wall and the camp behind it. He could see a major campfire situated in the middle of the base surrounded by hundreds of men. There were several women present as well – mothers, wives and young children. The woman did not fight but their presence was just as important. They looked after the wounded, cooked the meals and provided a clean place for the soldiers to sleep in.

At the front of the campfire stood a female dressed in a red dress. She stood out clearly amongst the group – the other women dressed in white. Robert noticed the woman dancing around the campfire leading the men in song. "Julia keeps the morale of the men up," Robert said, continuing to watch the girl dance and sing.

"She's a charmer, that's for sure," Enrique said. Robert glanced at him, frowning slightly. Enrique cleared his throat. "I meant no disrespect – she's done a fine job of looking after the woman and children when the men are out to war."

"She believes in this war, Robert. So should you," Oliver pointed out.

Robert remained motionless for a few more moments, before turning his attention away from the activities outside. He walked back to the table and sat down again. "I offered her a chance to walk away from the bloodshed, but she chose to stay instead," he stated softly, in a tone barely above a whisper.

"She stays because of you," Enrique said.

He found her on the front of his office five years ago with her brother, Raul, on the back of two camels. The rider found the two teenagers in an abandoned slave camp and brought them to the Wall, thinking their services could be used. At first, he did not want them. The state of the physical condition was appalling. But Salima, a well trained healer from Madari, begged to let them stay under her care.

No one else bothered to lend the two siblings a hand. If Robert turned someone down it was for good reason. Robert expected the siblings to live a week, but they defied the odds. With persistence, Salima managed to return Julia and Raul into healthy young people. Robert was still reluctant to keep them. He ordered for Johnny to take the two to the nearest kingdom where they would be safe from war. But Julia, the eldest of the two, demanded to stay. She promised she and her brother would prove their worth to him.

Within a few short months, Julia had mastered the arts of caring for the wounded and offering support to those who needed advice. Raul on the other hand proved he was more than a capable soldier killing his first soldier within a week of training. But still, Robert did not want them to stay. Their miraculous recovery was a sign they were needed elsewhere. He did not want their blood on his hands. Raul soon left after experiencing his first battle. He headed towards Madari to make his home within the priesthood, but Julia remained.

"She won't leave you, Robert," said Oliver.

A brief smile crossed his usually stern face. Years of nonstop war made his expression hard, but there were still moments a smile could be spared. It was love that made Julia stay. She would not admit that fact aloud of course, but he knew it. He could see the adoration in her eyes when she looked at him. The way she always tried to ensure he was happy before anyone else. But he could not return her affection. He wanted to, but the fear of losing her was too much to bear.

He shifted his thoughts away from Julia. Thinking of her made him feel guilt. "What is the current situation?" he asked, moving aside the document with the names on it. Underneath it was a large map of the region.

"Barthaz hasn't attacked us since we captured Mystel a week ago, but our scouts reported he was organizing his next attack," Enrique stated, pointing at the far end of the mountain where Jabaq was located. "We can expect an attack at nightfall within a couple of days. Barthaz likes to use the darkness to his advantage. We should be ready for anything."

"What do we expect to fight this time?"

"Another large group of men, estimated to be around three hundred. No Faceless creatures this time though, but Barthaz is sending some of his wyrmlings. We can expect the small dragons to attack us early on before the main part of the army reaches us," Enrique explained.

"That's not all we ought to be worried about though," Oliver started, coming to Enrique's side. "The weather is going to take a nasty turn. There's a big storm brewing and that's going to severely limit our visibility. I don't think we can rely on our archers for this battle."

The mountain was permanently covered in cloud, but every so often a dangerous storm or thick fog would come through. "We will need to fight this battle on the ground then," Robert said shortly afterwards. The toughest battles were fought on the ground. When the storms came, the rain would pour and the sand in the valley would harden. Soldiers could get stuck in the ground at the worst possible time. Foul creatures also lurked deep underground only emerging when the rains came.

Enrique nodded grimly. "Yes, the battle will be fought on the ground."

.

After the conversation with his elite soldiers, Robert exited the main office and headed down to join the rest of the camp. Soldiers noticed Robert and immediately moved out of the way for him. Enrique and Oliver did not follow choosing to engage in a drinking game with some soldiers in a far corner. In the corner of his eye, Robert noticed Enrique attempting to flirt with Salima who simply laughed at his attempts. It didn't stop the warrior from trying though.

"I was wondering when you were going to leave that office and join the party," Julia said, as soon as her eyes landed on Robert. Two other women stood behind her waiting for her orders. "Carry on. I will rejoin you shortly." She hurried over to Robert who led her away from the campfire and business of the area. "The soldiers are happier than they were earlier this week. The news of losing our prisoner hit them hard, but losing Johnny hurt even more. The men can't understand why Johnny would abandon us. There was word going around Johnny left because there is no hope for us." She lifted her chin up. "Tell me that is not true."

Robert remained silent considering his next few words. It was hard to even look at her in the eyes. Johnny's reasons for leaving were unknown to him – he could only make assumptions for his motivations. Leaving because of a lack of hope didn't fit his character though otherwise he would've left far earlier. "I don't know what you what me to say," Robert said finally.

She bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. "I want to hear that we will be safe and that hope is not lost." She paused, looked away, then turned back to Robert to speak again, "But that is wishful thinking, isn't it?"

He could see the sadness in her eyes. This was not the time to speak of lost hope. There would never be a time. "Johnny might have left us for reasons I am unsure of, but we will continue to fight."

A smile crossed her face. "I am glad to hear."

"We will face another large force of Barthaz's men in a few days time at night."

The smile faded. "So he prefers to attack us when we are most vulnerable then."

"The battle will come in two waves. Wyrmlings sometime during the day and the soldiers at nightfall. Barthaz hopes to weaken us so we will be easier to defeat." His gaze hardened. "He will find it a difficult task."

She gripped his arms, gazing up into his eyes. "Make me a promise."

"What promise?"

Her grip tightened. "Promise me you will always return."

"I will not leave the Wall."

"That's not what I meant. We _need _you, Robert. Without you as our leader what hope is there for us?" she said softly.

He took her hands with his own and looked her squarely in the eyes. "I promise."

Julia smiled. "That's all I need to hear."

.

It was the start of a new day and he was greeted by the morning chill. Dense fog covered the kingdom making it difficult to see what was right in front of him. But he could still hear clearly. He heard the voice of Enrique speaking to another soldier somewhere in the near distance. He moved towards the sound, wrapping his cloak around his body. "Enrique!"

Enrique rushed towards him, followed by another soldier. The boy was young, no less than sixteen years of age. "We've recovered the body of one of our scouts early this morning."

"Did you identify him?"

Enrique shook his head. "We saw his body only, no head. It seems whatever creature had done this to him wanted the head for some special purpose. Lead the way, Mario." Mario nodded and led them towards the far right of the wall where the stone met solid rock. As they drew closer, Robert noticed patches of blood across the floor. "We also found blood on the rock. I think he climbed up the side to head up to the watch post and was attacked on the way down."

They reached the side of the mountain. Robert moved close and examined the rock, arching his neck back to look at the trail of blood. The trail travelled further up, but because of the fog, he could not see where it ended. "He was foolish to climb up to the post in this fog."

"That's the thing Robert, the fog wasn't here early this morning," Mario said. "It only appeared an hour ago."

"It's not natural this fog, created by magic I believe," Enrique said.

"Barthaz is a necromancer. Controlling the weather doesn't fall underneath necromancy."

Enrique shrugged. "Anything is possible now, Robert." He too arched his neck up. "We heard screaming early this morning. I rushed out but it was too late. The man was already dead."

"Did you catch a glimpse of his attacker?"

"No," answered Mario.

The only creature that was capable of living up high in the mountains was the shadow beast. "Where is the body? You said you had seen it?" asked Robert.

Mario nodded. "It's over there," he said, lifting a hand and pointing a finger to a corner covered in fog.

Robert sauntered closer to the body. The aroma of decomposing flesh filled his nostrils. "Oh Gods..." he muttered, as he moved into the vision of the corpse. The body was barely identifiable. It was as if the skin had been turned inside out. "Are they... maggots?"

"That is disgusting!" Mario remarked, bringing a hand to his mouth and nose.

Enrique frowned. "It didn't smell this bad an hour ago nor were there any maggots." He cast a worried look in Robert's direction. "You think Barthaz is behind this?"

"It was certainly not a shadow beast. They do not have the ability to turn a man's flesh inside out." Rather, the creature would eat the body whole and leave only bones behind. He arched his neck back glancing up at the blood trail on the mountain side. "I'm going to investigate."

"What? No! That's dangerous, commander!" Mario cried.

"We need the watch post to keep an eye on the valley otherwise our enemy will have an advantage over us," Robert explained, reaching a hand underneath his robes fishing for his sword. "Do not worry about me – I am well armed. I need you to inform Oliver to prepare the men for an attack. Will you do this for me, Mario?"

Mario nodded. "Of course, commander." He bowed then left Robert's presence.

"I will accompany you," Enrique said knowingly.

"I need you to watch my back," Robert replied. "Whatever foul creature killed our scout will still be up there. We need to be prepared for anything." He placed both hands on the mountainside and looked for the secret pathway. It was hard to find since there was no real pathway leading upwards – sharp eyes were needed to find the right foot holes to grip onto. He continued to rub his hands over the rocky surface until he found a worn foot hole. "Found it. Follow me." He started to climb.

Enrique groaned. "I hate mountain climbing."

Fortunately, climbing upwards wasn't as difficult as it appeared to be. The foot holes were deep in the mountain making it easier to maintain balance. One wrong move and a person would fall backwards to their death. "Don't look down Enrique – you will lose your balance otherwise."

"We should seriously consider investing in a rope ladder."

"That'll make it easier for enemy spies to infiltrate our base." Enrique cursed, but continued to climb. The climb up the mountainside seemed to take forever. Each movement drained Robert of energy – he could feel his muscles ache every time he pulled himself a few inches higher. It seemed hours had passed since they started the climb, but only thirty minutes had passed. Finally, they reached the watch post. Robert clambered over the edge then lay flat on his stomach and aided Enrique. Enrique grabbed his arm firmly and Robert lifted him up onto the ledge.

The two men picked themselves up from the ground and admired the view. They were high above the fog now. The snow capped peaks of the mountains were clearly visible from their position. "I never realized it snowed up here," Enrique said, wrapping his arms around his body.

"We are quite high Enrique; it's only natural for snow to fall here." Just then a breeze blew through the valley causing a cold chill due to the snow. Robert withdrew his sword and Enrique did the same. "We need to find the remains of our scout."

"But where do we look?"

Robert observed his surroundings. All he saw was a rugged snowy landscape. Then... he noticed a trail of blood leading to a destination unknown. He nudged Enrique. "Over there. We will follow the trail." He moved towards the trail while Enrique lingered behind. It didn't take him long to realize Enrique wasn't following behind him. Not hearing the sounds of feet walking through snow behind him was a good sign. "Enrique – what are you doing?"

The tall blond looked afraid, an expression not commonly seen on the face of an Aduri soldier. "It's nothing," he called back as he withdrew his weapon.

Robert walked back over to his friend. "You are afraid."

The scared expression faded quickly. "No. Of course not. The people of Aduri are never afraid." His tone betrayed the fear he felt.

"There is nothing wrong with feeling fear, Enrique. You would be a fool if you didn't."

The blond rubbed his nose. "Fear is a sign of weakness though?"

"No, it isn't. Fear is designed to protect us from harm." Robert placed a hand on Enrique's shoulder. "Despite what some people may say, admitting to fear is a sign of courage, not of cowardice." He removed his hand.

"But you are never afraid."

Robert forced a dry laugh. "I am afraid every day, Enrique, but I must not let it be seen." Enrique's expression remained the same. "What brought this on?"

"It's just... so quiet up here, that's all. Can you imagine living in such isolation for the rest of your life? It would be horrible." Robert simply arched a brow at him, surprised by Enrique's confession. Enrique cleared his throat. "I guess we ought to carry on."

Robert smiled. "Indeed we shall."

They followed the trail in silence, keeping their ears trained on noises around them. Being surrounded by snow made it hard to believe their kingdom was situated in a desert between two mountains. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to live in one of the other kingdoms away from the mountain. What sort of a life would he live? Would he still be a warrior? Or would he specialize in expanding his knowledge? It was hard to imagine a life away from the Wall.

"Did you hear that?" Enrique suddenly asked, bringing a free hand to his right ear. "It sounded like a deep growl."

Robert froze. He didn't hear anything at first other than the gusts of wind blowing through the valley, but then he heard it. A faint growling sound coming from the path ahead. He pulled out his sword. "Quick – behind that rock." He rushed over to the large rock then ducked behind it, pulling Enrique with him.

The growling noise became louder as the creature came closer. Robert poked his head around the corner. That's when he saw it. A two foot tall humanoid creature covered in pale white scales stood a couple of metres away from their position. It wore a simple leather garment around its waistline while a crown of thorns sat atop its bald head. The creature had bat size ears and a crooked nose that curved downwards at the tip. Its eyes were round and black, but it was the creature's teeth that caught Robert's attention. They were large. Abnormally large. Two long sabres both at least a foot long, hung from the roof of its mouth, yet somehow it managed to walk perfectly fine.

"That doesn't look good... what the heck is that anyway?" Enrique asked, also peering behind the corner.

Robert tightened his grip on the hilt. "I don't know what it is... but we're going to destroy it." Before Enrique could stop him, Robert jumped out behind the rock.

"Robert!"

The creature turned to face Robert. His presence seemed to delight the humanoid creature. Its mouth curved upwards as if it were smiling. "You can't kill me, human," it hissed.

Robert froze. "You killed my scout."

"Why are you talking it? Kill it!" Enrique said. A gob of green saliva leaked out the right side of the creature's mouth. Enrique wrinkled his nose in disgust at the sight. "Ugh, gross."

Robert moved forward, eyes never leaving the creature's face. "I'm going to kill you."

"I can't be killed by an ordinary blade," the creature sneered, stepping forwards. "You will die here, human!" The creature lunged.

"Robert!"

For a miniature creature, it certainly moved fast. He brandished his sword in front of its face, just managing to avoid the tip of the spear. The creature lunged again. Robert evaded the attack. More saliva dribbled down the creature's jaw, falling onto the snow below. A putrid stench came from it making Robert's head spin. Enrique lunged. The creature jumped out of the way. Robert swung. The creature evaded the blow.

"I wish that bastard would stop moving so I could kill it already!" Enrique cursed.

Holding out his sword before him like it were a shield, Robert moved forward with caution. The creature hissed at him again, revealing a small set of sharp teeth covered in green saliva. Was it poison? Or acid? Whatever it was he did not want to have that stuff touch him. He lowered his blade, and hung his head eyes closed.

"Robert?"

"Do not involve yourself further, Enrique. Stand aside." He waited. Engaging in a duel head on with such a creature wasn't going to work. He planned to lure it in closer by pretending to act vulnerable. There. Movement. Footsteps charged towards him. It lunged. Robert acted. He swung his blade directly at its waistline slicing it in half. "The blade I carry is no ordinary blade."

He pulled back his sword, then glanced down at the silver script engraved in the blade. The Jurgen Blade. Forged by a dragon's breath many centuries ago and passed down from generation to generation, the sword could kill any beast with ease. Such swords were incredibly rare. "It's over then?" Enrique asked. "You had me worried there for a moment, Robert."

"Your commander knows what is beast. You should have a little more faith," he replied, giving Enrique one of his slow rare smiles. "Come, we should head back down to the Wall. I want to know what creature that was."

_._

So, how did you find this chapter? Share your thoughts with me in a review. As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	12. Descent into Madness

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

DMGSilverAirHead03, SgtPeppersLHCB and Omegaxis1 for reviewing the previous chapter. Also, thanks to Ninja Misao for reviewing the first one. I hope you enjoy this one!

The song for this chapter is, 'Dance With the Night Wind' by Akira Yamaoka.

**.**

**Chapter Ten: Descent into Madness**

_Hilary_

The dull throbbing pain in her stomach refused to leave her, but at least the spasms had stopped. Busying herself with patients kept her mind off her health temporarily. Currently she was attending to a young male with a high fever. "Hilary, you need to take care of yourself," Kenny said, handing the girl a wet white cloth.

Hilary grabbed the cloth and placed it on the patient's forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat. "I am feeling now, Kenny." It wasn't the whole truth, but Kenny didn't need to know that. He panicked far too easily and if he told the High Priests she would lose her job. Her purpose for living was to help – if she couldn't do that she might as well commit suicide. "He's awakening; pass me the water please."

Kenny reached for a bronze goblet and passed it over to Hilary with great caution so water didn't spill. She lowered the goblet and brought the rim to the patient's dry lips. With gentle care, she tipped the goblet allowing some water to touch the boy's lips. The cool feel of the liquid prompted the boy to act. He forced himself to sit as straight as possible then took a mouthful of water. "The fever seems to have passed," Kenny said, placing his hand on the boy's forehead, "Billy has recovered well."

Hilary smiled. "How do you feel, Billy?" she asked, placing the cloth back in the bowl of water. "You were sleeping for days."

"I feel much better," Billy replied, taking yet another mouthful of water. "My throat is parched."

"Drink all you like. You will need your strength." She pulled her hands away from the goblet. Billy seemed well enough to hold it without her support. Standing, she moved over to the next bed where another young patient rested. "Andrew...," she mumbled. Andrew had only arrived two days ago complaining about a troublesome stomach. She had given him some herbs to relax his stomach and it seemed to work, but on the second day the boy complained of more pain.

Her hands moved to the amulet hiding under her shirt. Dranzer. The amulet had helped her save every patient within a day, so why was it failing now? Had Brooklyn somehow disabled the amulet's ability? She let her fingers graze the surface of the amulet and was surprised by the warmth. The amulet was always cold. "Dranzer..."

"Hilary..." Andrew gasped.

"Kenny! Bring the water to Andrew!" Hilary called out, then turned her attention back to her patient. Colour had drained from his face. His breaths were ragged, and his eyes bleak. He rolled his head to the side locking those frightening eyes on her own. "Relax," she said, gripping his hands and holding them still, "you will recover. I am here for you."

Bony fingers laced around her own, their strength surprising given his weak physical state. "I... don't... feel... well..." he muttered, lowering a hand to his stomach. His eyes closed, and his head rolled back, a gob of saliva leaking out the side. Hilary placed a hand on his forehead. Hot. Burning hot. A long groan passed through his lips sending a chill down Hilary's spine.

"Here is the water," Kenny said. "What seems to be the problem?"

"He's running a fever," she replied, taking the goblet from Kenny, "I don't understand..." Without questioning it further, she placed the rim on Andrew's lips and gave him some water. He swallowed three mouthfuls of liquid before shoving it back. "Andrew?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"There's something... in me..." he whispered, eyelids opening. The grip on her arm tightened. "Get them out, please," he begged.

"You need to let go of my arm, Andrew. I can't help if you hold my arm," Hilary said, trying to free her arm from his iron grip hold. Her attempts failed.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and a pained scream erupted from his throat. "Get it out, get it out!" he wailed.

"Andrew, release me!" Hilary ordered.

Kenny looked at her with desperate eyes as if wondering what he ought to do next. "What's going on?"

She tried to pry Andrew's fingers off her arm, but he refused to let go. The fear she experience when Brooklyn attacked came back to her now. Andrew was beginning to sweat, his face scrunched up in pain. He screamed again; an ear splitting cry filled with pain. He lurched forward, releasing his grip on Hilary, then vomited. Digested food of the past twenty four hours lay on his lap, but it was the light brown moving objects that caught her attention.

"By the Gods..." Kenny whispered.

Hilary brought her face to the vomit, keeping her skin three inches away. The stench was overpowering, but her curious nature prompted her to continue looking. "What in the hells..." Maggots. There were hundreds of them moving around in the vomit. She quickly drew back, suddenly overcome with an overpowering sense of nausea.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she heard Kenny mutter.

Maggots in Andrew's stomach. "How could this be..." Again, she touched the Dranzer amulet and almost jerked her fingers back. Fire. The amulet felt like fire. Her fingers burned, her skin prickled. With a scream Hilary grabbed the string around her neck and tugged it off, throwing it to the ground. String burst into flame but the amulet itself remained in peak condition. She screamed.

"Help me!" Andrew rasped. Hilary's eyes moved back to Andrew. He reached out towards her, murmuring, his arms shaking, his face as white as snow. "You are meant to help me! Why aren't you helping me?" he cried, tears streaming down his face. He lurched forward again, gagging. He tilted to the side then dropped on the ground, landing in the contents of his stomach. Maggots swarmed all over him.

Hilary scrambled back, trembling. "What's happening?"

"Hilary, we have to get help!" Kenny screamed.

She shook her head. "I can't leave him, Kenny. It's my duty to help him."

He rushed to her side, gripping her shoulders. "Something is wrong."

She freed herself from his grip. "We have to stop him," she said softly, choking back a sob. Andrew screamed again. That sound would keep her awake at night forever. She picked herself up from the ground and grabbed the goblet resting at Andrew's bedside.

Kenny gaped at her. "You can't kill him."

She turned to him with grief-stricken eyes, "We have no choice."

Clutching the goblet with firm hands, Hilary advanced towards Andrew keeping the item high above her head. She had never killed before, nor did she ever want to, but Andrew was leaving her no choice. The maggots had eaten his insides and more continued to spill out with each vomit he took. Ending his suffering was the best thing she could do for him. "I'm so sorry, Andrew." With all her strength, she brought the goblet crashing down against his head. A sickening crack silenced his groans.

The goblet fell from her hands, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Her knees buckled, then gave way. She collapsed in a heap, her face buried in her hands crying a river of tears. "You did what you had to do, Hilary," Kenny said, crawling over to comfort her.

"I _murdered _him."

"He was long gone, you said it yourself."

She peeked through the gaps in her fingers, peering down at the now lifeless corpse of Andrew. The maggots continued to feast on his flesh devouring as much as they could. Rage coursed through her veins. She exploded with animalistic fury. "Leave him alone!" she screamed, slamming her hands down on the maggots crushing whatever her hand met. She did not care she was crawling in vomit. "Leave him alone, leave him alone, leave him alone!"

Though several maggots had died, there were far too many to kill with simple hands. Kenny pulled her back, slapping away a maggot that had crawled onto her. "We can't do anything for him anymore, Hilary. We need to discard his body." He squished the maggot under his foot.

Her barbaric fury ended, replaced by grief and helplessness. "I've never failed before... why was I unable to save him?" Andrew was a young soldier. He wanted to fight on the Wall and hold back the armies of Jabaq. Those dreams would never become a reality now. It was all her fault. He depended on her. They all did. They believed she would save them. She sobbed again.

"It's not your fault, Hilary. It was a freak incident."

"He didn't deserve to die."

"No... he didn't."

_Every life you save ends another._

Brooklyn's chilling words came back to her. What had he meant?

_You think you have control over life and death... I will give you complete control._

He despised her healing ways. He believed it was wrong. Defying fate. But curing the sick wasn't wrong... was it? Had her ways angered the Gods? Is this their method of showing their anger by having Andrew die? No. That wasn't right. If the Gods were displeased they would've killed all her patients a long time ago.

_For every life you heal, another life ends. This is the price you pay for messing with the balance of life._

An implosion of pain coming from her stomach made her to kneel forward. Someone screamed her name. Kenny? Billy? Another patient? She didn't know. Another sharp burst of pain. It was as if someone had kicked her in the stomach ten times over, with each blow being harder than the previous.

_Hilary._

She scrambled across the floor, fingers clawing at the ground, as she tried to pull herself away from the maggots and Andrew's eaten corpse. Although her hearing senses had dulled, she could still smell well.

_Hilary._

There it was again. An anonymous voice chanting her name. Mocking. Deep. Hoarse. Where was it coming from?

_Hilary._

Again and again, the name called but it would not identify itself. "Who are you?!" Hilary screamed, lying sprawled on the floor. She received only a snicker in response. Lifting her head, she searched for Kenny. There was no one around. She was by herself in the temple with only Andrew's half-eaten corpse for company. "Kenny? Kenny!" she yelled. Another burst of pain this time in her head.

_Kenny's not here. It's just you and me, Hilary._

"Who are you?! Show yourself!" How did it know her name? Instead of fear, she felt anger. Whatever was speaking to her was behind all of this. "You did this to me!" she spat. The mysterious voice did not reply.

"Hilary! She's not responding to us!"

"Wait, I think she's coming around. She's stopped thrashing wildly at least."

Pain left her. She glanced up at weakly and noticed three pairs of feet encircling her. What in the hells, she thought. "Kenny?" she coughed.

"It's me. Tala and Kai are here as well, they heard you screaming and they came running," he explained, lightly grasping her shoulder. "We thought we lost you. You were screaming, shouting and yelling curses for quite some time. Are you alright?" he added softly.

She swallowed. It was then she realized just how dry her throat was. All that screaming and yelling had drained her. "Did you hear it?"

Kai lifted a brow, staring at her quizzically. "Your screaming, yes."

"Loud enough to wake the dead," Tala added, grinning.

"No, the voice. It was chanting my name," she said, slowly helping herself up into a sitting position.

Kai and Tala exchanged glances, shrugging. "Nope, didn't hear a thing," Kai said.

"But-" she said, then stopped mid-sentence. If she told them what she had heard then they'd probably assume was crazy and pull her out of the temple. No one was going to take her career away from her. "I must have been hearing things." Gazing around the room, her eyes searched for Andrew. His corpse was gone. "Where is..."

Tala looked at the place Andrew was previously lying. "We cleaned up his corpse, threw it out the window. Then we stomped on the maggots so that's why this place looks so clean now."

"And the patients?"

Kai shrugged. "They're all asleep. Except for the fat kid lying nearby. We found him hiding under a table shuddering. He's gone back home now, probably to gorge on some more food." He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not like he needs more," he muttered. "So, now that you're feeling better, do you think you can look after Bryan? He's come down with some illness."

Take care of another patient? Hilary didn't trust herself to touch another patient, let alone even look at one. What if the same thing happened again? Bryan was one of the top soldiers in the army. She would certainly lose her job if she failed to heal him. "I'm not sure..."

"You don't have to immediately, give it a week or so. No one is expecting you to be playing nurse again after what happened earlier this week," Kai said, giving her a reassuring look. "You shouldn't even be up and walking about anyway."

"Is that concern I detect?" Tala teased.

Kai glared at him. "No. I don't want her healing anyone in the state she is in. How many more people will die because of her?"

His comment stung. Biting her lower lip to stop tears from spilling, she simply curled her fingers into fists and laid them on her lap then spoke, "What happened today was out of my control. Not everyone can be saved."

"But you have never failed before," Kai pointed out.

Like he needed to make that point clear. "I'm going to go and get myself a fresh goblet of water," she said, standing. "I'll be back." Tala and Kai both nodded while Kenny looked concerned. "I'll be fine, Kenny."

"Sure you don't want anyone to hold your hand? You might get lost," Kai mocked.

Hilary glared. He really was an ass. "And here I was thinking you had a heart." Before he could reply with a smart comment, Hilary strolled away heading towards her private bathroom quarters. She always spent time in here after a stressful ordeal and today was no different. She moved over to the large tub of water and knelt down before it, sticking her hands into the water enjoying the feel.

Making a cup with her hands, she placed them beneath the surface and scooped up a cupful of water, then brought it to her face. She repeated the action; the cool water made her feel relaxed. Surprisingly, her body had recovered much quicker than before. The first time the pain left her unable to walk for hours but she recovered immediately this time.

_Hilary._

The same chilling voice she heard earlier had returned. Darting her eyes around the room, she desperately searched for the speaker, but found nothing. Was this a sign of going mad? Hearing things?

_Hilary._

Louder this time. It's presence was strong whatever it was. She gazed down into the water, shaking her head, washing her hands. "Relax, Hilary. You're just feeling a little stressed, that's all." Outside her quarters, she could hear Tala and Kai laughing about something. "I can't wait until those boys leave, perhaps I might get some rest." A good sleep certainly rated high on her to-do list. She hadn't managed a good sleep in days.

Yawning, she lifted her hands out of the water and ran them through her hair, pushing loose strands behind her ears. She reached down into the water again for some more, but froze. A face was staring up at her. Yellow glowing eyes. Black veins running through its face. Sabres grinning up at her. She rubbed her eyes, blinked and looked back down again. Nothing. "I'm losing my mind... I really need some sleep."

She exited the bathroom and headed back towards the patient area where the three males were having a heated discussion about something. They stopped talking when she approached them. "Talking about me, were you?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Kenny was telling us about what happened here," Kai replied.

Hilary sat down between Kai and Tala. "Well, enough talk about me. You mentioned Bryan was sick?"

Kai nodded. "We were in battle. At the end, Bryan came down with something. I'm not sure what's wrong with him, he's outside right now complaining about a headache. I'm worried about him." For once, she heard real sincerity in his tone. So, he was capable of caring after all, she thought. Not that he would ever admit that out aloud. "Can you do anything for him?"

Her mind briefly flickered to Andrew. Would the same thing happen to Bryan? "Let me have a look at him. Bring him inside."

"Bryan, you can come in now!" Tala called.

From what she remembered of him last time, Bryan was in good health. The Bryan that walked through the temple entrance was the exact opposite. He swayed back and forth, hand pressed up against his forehead. "It hurts..." he groaned.

Leaving her seat, Hilary rushed over to Bryan and guided him towards one of the free beds. "What is the problem?"

Bryan pointed to his head. "Head. Hurts. Burning."

Hilary looked sharply at Kai. "How did he get like this?"

"Well, we found a mage and killed her. She didn't want to open the chest she was guarding," Kai explained, giving Bryan a helpless look. "She probably cursed him. Bloody mages," he spat.

If Kai's words were true there was nothing she could do. Curses could not be healed with herbs nor rest. A curse could only be undone by the person who made it. "Then I'm afraid I can't do anything for him. The mage you killed was the only person who could cure him." She gave Bryan a pitiful look. "Now he is cursed forever, even beyond death."

"There has to be something you can do!" Kai said.

"I'm sorry, Kai."

"Some healer you turned out to be," he retorted, bitterly shooting her a sour look. "Our business here is done. Come on Tala." He turned in the direction of the entrance and started walking towards it.

"There is something," Kenny said, stopping Kai in his tracks.

"What?" Kai asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Hilary frowned. "You and I both know nothing can cure him now."

"Dark magic will help him," Kenny replied, pressing the palms together nervously. Magic was forbidden in Madari. The High Priests outlawed it after Barthaz deserted them. They feared magic would anger bring the Gods wrath upon them all. Of course, Hilary's amulet was magical but it was allowed because it cured people.

"The mages fled our city after they began to punish people found using magic," Tala said.

Kai nodded. "They fled to Qubo." Qubo, the mages stronghold. The only place where magic was encouraged. Even the people of Jabaq avoided magic. Barthaz was the only one in the city to use it. "You're telling me we have to go and capture a mage?" His voice remained blunt, but the expression on his face suggested he was eager to go on such an adventure.

Sighing, Kenny nodded. "Unless you know how to use magic yourself, your only option is to capture a mage."

"What if we did know magic? What would we do?" Kai asked, leaning forward.

"Why are you so interested? It's not like you can learn how to use magic," Hilary explained. "That takes time and effort and you don't have the patience to learn. Besides, you wouldn't risk it anyway, not when you're living under your grandfather's nose."

Kai didn't seem fazed by that at all. "It's just a question. If we do find and successfully capture a mage, we're going to need to know what the next step is. Continue, Kenny."

"Well, you'll need to visit the lost tombs of Tecano."

The cursed pyramids. It was said any man that entered would bring misfortune to all he crossed. Just the thought of Tecano made her cringe, but Kai seemed unnerved. He seemed _very _interested. "Tecano. That's a long way from here."

"You're not seriously thinking of visiting the pyramids are you?" Hilary said.

"I have to agree with Hilary on this one, Kai. Those pyramids are bad news. I mean, I love getting involved in dangerous situations and all, but nothing would ever convince me to travel there. I've heard bad things about that place. They say dangerous creatures lurk there hiding in the shadows," Tala said, almost speaking in a whisper.

Hilary nodded. "You will never make it out alive."

"I might just surprise you; don't underestimate me, Hilary. If none of you will come with me then I shall go alone. I will save Bryan." He looked at Tala. "That leaves you in charge, Tala."

Tala puffed up his chest and grinned. "It'll be my honour... but," the grin faded from his face, "what shall I tell the soldiers?"

"Tell them I am on a mission for the Gods, passed down to me by my grandfather. No one is going to argue with that," Kai replied. He stood up from the bed and looked at Hilary. "If anything weird happens again call Tala. He'll protect you. Oh, and Kenny – you never answered my question. What shall I do when a mage has been caught?"

Kenny swallowed, then cleared his throat. "You will need to enter the main chamber room. There will be a chest and inside it, there will be a tome containing the ritual to undo a curse. The more powerful the curse is, the harder the ritual."

Tala peered at Kenny curiously, "How do you know so much?"

"I've read a lot of documents."

The red head snorted. "I'll say," he said, then rose from the bed. He placed a hand on Kai's shoulder and nodded. "Best of luck, Kai."

"Oh, and one last thing you should know. If the ritual works, Bryan will be cured immediately. If it doesn't, he dies so make sure you know exactly what to do," Kenny explained. "We'll look after Bryan as best as we can."

Kai nodded then left the temple. Tala looked Bryan, a slight smirk on his face. "Are you going to read him a bed time story, Hilary?" He snickered as the words left his mouth. "Bryan likes hearing stories before he goes to sleep. He particularly likes the one about the wench and the soldier making love under the moonlight." He laughed again upon seeing the scarlet red face on Kenny. "Anyway, I'm heading down to the tavern I'll be back later, alright? Don't get into any trouble," he said, following Kai's footsteps.

"Good riddance to them. I hope Kai fails in his task," Hilary grumbled.

"He's the High Priest's grandson, Hilary. You should not speak ill of him."

"He thinks he's so superior because of his status. He's no better than the rest of us. What exactly has he done to serve his kingdom anyway? Nothing!" She pushed Bryan roughly knocking him over on his backside on the bed. "He'll bring misfortune to us all if he manages to make it out alive of that place."

"You need some rest, Hilary. I will look after Bryan. Please."

Hilary sighed. "You are right, I will rest." And so she did and she was glad to. It felt good to lie down in bed instead of being the one tending to the sick. While Kenny tended to the patients, Hilary dreamt. In her dreams, her ability to heal had not disappeared. People praised her for her skill and her name was well known across the lands. People from all kingdoms visited her to experience her miracle healing abilities while a sour faced Kai watched on.

Then shadows appeared engulfing the world in darkness. Everytime she touched someone, a person would die and a shadow beast would swallow them whole, while the victim screamed. Word spread across the lands she was evil, the harbringer of doom, the lady of darkness. She bolted upright in her bed, hands grasping the sheets. "It was just a dream," she said, panting hard. She dropped back down on her bed, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. "Just a dream."

.

Gosh, it's been far too long since I worked on anything remotely fantasy. Fortunately, my month long hiatus has ended and I'll be writing again. I will attempt to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, hopefully by this weekend or the next. As always, reviews are much appreciated! Whose pov would you like to see next excluding Kai and Robert?


	13. It's All About the Blood

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade do not belong to me

**Title**

Power of Darkness

**Summary**

A great power resides in the mountain, but no one knows what lies within. It's up to Kai to unearth the mystery before the great wall falls. But are things what they appear to be?

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to DGMSilverAirHead03 and SgtPeppersLHCB for reviewing the last chapter! Your support is invaluable : )

The song for this chapter is, 'Escape' by Craig Armstrong

**.**

**Chapter Thirteen: It's All About the Blood**

_Mystel's pov_

Several days had passed since Mystel had escaped the wall, but it seemed like only yesterday. The mountain range still loomed over them blocking any sunlight from showing making the weather reasonably cool. Cool weather was a rarity in Jabaq; the city was always sunny hence why the locals were dark-skinned. "You're not much of a talker, are you?" Mystel questioned, glancing at soldier walking behind him.

Johnny hadn't spoken much since leaving the Wall. When he did speak it was always about how much he hated Jabaq and its people. These discussions were often short-lived; Johnny complained but Mystel silenced him with a simple question, 'if you hate Jabaq and its people so much, why haven't you killed me yet?' Johnny never replied, just gave a snort and that was it.

"If you were still on the Wall, what would you be doing? Sleeping with a wench?" Mystel asked, raising a brow suggestively at Johnny. The soldier glared refusing to even utter a mere 'yes' or 'no'. "Oh come on Johnny, don't be like this. Talk to me. How are we ever going to get along if we never communicate?"

"I don't want to associate with the likes of you."

"Ah, he talks!" Mystel replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't killed me yet... not that you could anyway," he added, shrugging. As per usual, Johnny didn't reply to this question. "I think I understand though. Killing me won't change your situation. The Wall won't take you back because you disobeyed a direct order. Am I right?"

"You don't know what you are talking about," Johnny replied coldly.

"You and I are quite alike, you know," Mystel started, giving Johnny an encouraging smirk, "we're both soldiers in a war fighting for a goal. You and your merry men want to stop us from entering your sacred lands because you think we're fiends. And we think the same of you, isn't that amusing?" he added. "We're both fighting for a common goal here – peace and freedom."

Johnny made a noise which sounded similar to a sound a person made when gagging. "Peace? Freedom? You're trying to invade our lands to destroy everything. How is that peaceful?"

Mystel narrowed his eyes. "We like to think of it as 'the great purge'," he said, animating his words with various hand gestures. "People on this side of the Wall are misguided fools praying to an unseen deity that resides in a mountain. Faith makes you weak. Faith takes away your ability to make decisions for yourselves because you're afraid of angering the so-called Gods," he commented snidely, eyes falling to the weapon hanging on Johnny's left thigh. "And you call yourselves brave warriors."

Shaking his head, Johnny retorted with poison, "You're wrong. Faith makes us strong. It makes us believe we can achieve anything," he said, shooting the blond a look of venom, "I wouldn't expect someone of Jabaq to understand."

Mystel sighed. "Yes... indeed. The concept of Gods and faith is beyond our understanding. Why would we limit ourselves by following the laws of an unseen deity?" he mocked.

"The laws regulate our behaviour. Without them, there would be chaos."

Mystel thought about debating Johnny's point, but decided not to. Johnny still considered himself above him because he believed he was a warrior of the Gods. But Mystel knew better – Johnny was only lying to himself. He would soon learn faith makes men weak. "Have you got a girl at home?" he asked, shooting Johnny a hopeful look.

"What?"

"I said, have you got a wench at home?" he repeated.

Johnny shook his head again. "No. The elite soldiers could not afford to have their minds distracted."

"Oh, that's a shame." He fell silent, then, "You live a very boring life," he concluded.

Johnny snorted. "In a couple of hours we should reach the small neighbouring village of Gabij. Its people are simple, but they will help us and tend to our needs." He shot Mystel a dark look, adding, "You'll have to stay hidden though, otherwise we will be forced to fight. I would prefer not to harm innocents."

Mystel rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, "Innocents?"

"They are not like you and I; these people are not trained in swordplay, the words of their faith is their weapon. They are simple folk, dedicated to serving the Gods as best as they can. Enrique called them slow and useless," he explained, giving a lopsided grin at the latter half of his sentence. "But they do not deserve to die."

"And if they were attacked?"

Johnny's shoulders slumped. "They would stand still and wait until they died. They are not aggressive people."

"Sound like a bunch of fools. Barthaz would love to throw them into the Pits."

Johnny lifted a questioning brow, "The Pits?"

Mystel nodded. "The worthless and traitors are thrown into the Pits. It's not a dungeon as the name might suggest; rather, it's a maze of dark streets and terrors. If Barthaz believes you are no longer representing his values, he will cast you into the Pits. Some survive the experience, but most die. Many kill themselves to escape the torture, while others are killed by the monstrosities that roam the streets." He gave Johnny a satisfied smirk, "I suppose you could say it's a way of... repenting your sins."

Johnny screwed up his nose in disgust. "And just when I thought my opinion of your people could not get any lower..."

"The most interesting about the Pits experience is that you can never predict what's going to happen to you. Some are raped, others are dismembered... some are simply eaten alive on the spot," Mystel continued, ignoring Johnny's comment. "I'm lucky; I don't have to ever go through that. It's one of the advantages of being part of Barthaz's personal guard. We're like royalty almost." He grinned. "Something tells me today is going to be our lucky day."

"What do you mean?"

Jerking his head to the right, Mystel brought Johnny's attention to a man riding on a camel. The man was dressed in simple hide cloths, but he wasn't unarmed. There were two blades attached to his left thigh; a dagger and a long sword. It seemed strange that a trader would wield such blades, but Mystel suspected the weapons were there just to intimidate hopeful bandits. But it wasn't the blades that caught his interest – it was the large brown sacks hanging on each of the camel's sides that interested him. Supplies heading to the Wall.

Nudging Johnny gently in the ribs, he brought his attention to the camel and rider. "I hate to interrupt our deep and meaningful conversation, but our dinner has arrived. You said there were often merchants bringing in supplies? Well, here's our chance to take them."

Johnny nodded, eyes resting on the sacks. "Food and water supplies for Commander Robert."

"We need those supplies."

"I will not attack an innocent man-I"

"Screw your honour! Would you prefer to die from starvation?" Mystel hissed. Johnny looked thoughtful. Mystel expected him to argue his point, but he nodded, sighing. "Good. He needs to die."

"Surely, death can be avoidable..."

"And let him head to the Wall and alert the troops that we're still within close proximity? I think not."

Johnny pointed to the camel. "How do we get him off the camel? He could trample us down." That was a fair point, but fortunately the old man hadn't seen them yet. Mystel planned to use that to his advantage. The man drew closer to their position. Up on closer inspection, Mystel noticed the trader was old. Old and quite grey. "Hit me."

"What?"

Mystel sighed, turned around and punched Johnny in the jaw. Johnny staggered back from the shock, but quickly recoiled and fought back. He landed a blow which struck Mystel in the stomach. The blond dropped to the ground, crying out with fake pain. The old trader stopped; turned around and immediately drove his camel towards them. "Just distract him long enough until I get a good angle..." Mystel said, lying motionless on the sand.

Johnny pressed his lips together, unsure if this was the right thing to do. Mystel hoped Johnny would make the right decision and play along with his game otherwise he would face a two-on-one duel. "Er... thank the Gods you have arrived!" Johnny called out, rushing towards to greet the trader.

The old man looked down at Johnny. "Johnny? What are you doing here?"

"Greetings, Gustav. Commander Robert sent me to on an important task, but I didn't get very far. This," he turned around, and pointed at Mystel on the ground, "bandit attacked me!"

Gustav moved closer to Mystel with great caution. "Are you sure? He does not look like a common bandit." He lowered to his knees and examined Mystel closely, "Why would the Commander send out one of his best men? I would've thought he would send Tyson, the fool."

Johnny was struggling now. Taking their chances and attacking the trader would've been the better solution rather than wasting time with words. Mystel regretted his idea; Johnny was not a person who had a talent for talking his way out of things. He looked nervous. "Uh... Tyson's already been sent on a mission, but Robert sent me after him. You know what Tyson is like. He'll get lost. He's probably dead now." He forced a dry, bitter laugh.

Mystel was becoming rather impatient now. Johnny was only succeeding in proving to Gustav they were not to be trusted. This was the last time he'd ever let Johnny do the talking. What in the hells convinced me Johnny could do this? He thought. "Commander Robert would not make this request of his elite soldiers," Gustav replied, turning back up to look at Johnny. "You left the Wall."

"No, I didn't."

"Do not lie to me, boy. I have known you since you were a young child. You were rebellious, even as a child. You never wanted to fight on the Wall; you complained about the cold days and long training shifts," Gustav scolded. "I may be an old man, but I am not a fool."

"I never had a choice!" Johnny snapped. He lifted his right hand, and pointing an accusing finger at Gustav's face. "None of us did! We were brought to the Wall because of our fathers! Enrique's father, Oliver's father and my own father... they all gave their lives defending it! We were sent to the Wall to die!" He flexed his fingers, then curled them into a fist.

Gustav's stern expression did not change. "I am going to take you back to where you belong, Johnny. You have a lot of explaining to do to the commander and I will make sure your mother hears about this." He turned around and headed back to his camel when Johnny struck forward, thrusting a dagger in his back.

It was as if time itself had frozen. No one moved a muscle. "You won't be telling her anything," Johnny said, through clenched teeth. He drove the dagger in deeper, twisting it, giving more pain to the victim. Blood seeped through his cloths and covered Johnny's blade and hand, but the soldier did not seem to be phased about it at all.

Mystel lifted himself from the ground and stood by Johnny's side. "You're right; I'm not a bandit," he said, moving to stand in front of Gustav, a smirk on his face. "I'm the one the men on the Wall are trying to kill." He laughed drawing back from Gustav's shocked face. "I'm sure you've heard of Jabaq, everyone has. And your dear friend Johnny set me free. Not that it matters to you; you're dying and no one is coming to help you. Thanks for the supplies; that was really kind of you."

Gustav gasped, bringing two hands to his stomach. "The Gods... will smite you..." His strength was fading fast, but not fast enough.

Drawing out his own blade, Mystel gripped Gustav's shoulder then plunged the tip into the man's stomach. Blood spewed out, dying his own clothes with red. "Gods... gods... gods... is that all you people talk about?" Mystel muttered. He placed a free hand on the man's stomach, then sunk it into the open wound, washing it in the blood as if it were water. Then he pulled it back, and placed a finger on Gustav's face.

Johnny didn't bother making any comments. He was strangely quiet and Mystel suspected it was due to shock. But it didn't matter. He didn't need Johnny's help at the current time. With a finger, he drew a straight line down the centre of his forehead. He painted another line, this time a horizontal one crossing through the direct centre of the vertical line of blood. He finished the symbol with a two small dots, each one placed in the two upper spaces. Once he was done, he closed his eyes and placed two fingers on the two drops of blood, and muttered to himself.

A dark glow radiated from the Gustav's still body. Mystel opened his eyes, and stretched his right arm directly above the symbol. With his other hand, he brought the edge of the blade against his right wrist, and made a cut. Droplets of blood fell onto the symbol, causing the Gustav to tremble. Trembles became more violent as time passed by, then suddenly ceased. "You've gone on to a better place," Mystel said, then brought his sword down into his forehead. The head burst open showering both Johnny and Mystel with blood.

Using his shirt to clean the blood of his sword, Mystel turned to Johnny. The warrior was still in shock; he hadn't uttered a single word since stabbing Gustav. "You did the right thing, you know. The old man was an ass." Johnny remained quiet, simply looking down at his blood covered hands. "So, it seems I'm wrong about you after all. I didn't think you had it in you."

"I killed him..."

Mystel looked up from his weapon. "You've killed other men before I'm sure. How is this one any different?"

"He was Commander Robert's tutor once, and I killed him out of anger..."

Johnny was obviously not hearing a single word Mystel spoke. The blond threw an irritated look at the warrior. "So what? He's dead! Your mother isn't going to hear about any of this and neither will Robert. I don't see what the big deal is. At least you're not lying to yourself anymore." He stopped cleaning his sword, then put it back in its sheath.

"You don't understand! What I did was a terrible crime! He knew my family!" Johnny replied, turning around to face the blond, anger knotted in his features. "He was assigned as Robert's tutor in his younger days. He taught him how to fight. Taught him about strategy. If it weren't for Gustav, Robert wouldn't be the man he is today."

"And now he's a trader? Seems like a dramatic change in career."

"Age forced him to change his career path. He became a trader instead, moving supplies from one kingdom to the other. He also acted as a messenger for parents of the soldiers on the Wall." Johnny wiped his hands on his clothes, cleansing them off the blood. "He took me to the Wall when I was five."

"And you chose not to tell me about this before? Slipped your mind, did it?"

Johnny snorted. "It's not something I like being reminded of. My father's father was friends with the first commander of the Wall and they made a pact their sons had to serve. I never wanted to be a part of the Wall, although I tried hard to convince myself I enjoyed being there." His form slumped. "I guess I just wanted to believe I was doing something good for my family name. Enrique and Oliver accepted their lives; I took my anger out on your people."

"Well, I'm glad I wasn't on the receiving end then. What does Commander Robert think of you?"

"He never valued me as highly as he valued Enrique and Oliver. I was more skilled with a weapon than they were, yet he favoured them over me."

Mystel struggled to think of the right words to say. Giving comfort wasn't part of his skill set, but he needed Johnny at full strength. "You're not part of the Wall now, you've escaped it. Life can only get better from here on, but it's your choice. You can choose to wallow in self-pity for the rest of your life, or live out your days fighting for freedom."

Johnny glanced sharply in his direction. "You mean, fight alongside you and bring down the Wall? I may not have enjoyed my time there, but I am not a traitor."

"They won't see it that way. In their eyes, you are. You set me free." Mystel fell silent, letting the words sink in. He didn't realize it yet, but they were more alike than he thought. "We're both very alike."

Johnny shook his head vigorously. "We're nothing alike."

Mystel held his hands up defensively. "Let me explain myself before you cast judgement. Like you, I didn't have a choice. I was born and bred in Jabaq and trained to be a soldier. We might be on opposite sides of the field, but we fight for a common goal. Freedom." He gave Johnny a hard stare, trying to determine what the other was thinking. Johnny's life had turned upside down within a matter of days. Mystel _almost _felt sorry for him – but things were going to get much tougher. "I'm the not the one you should be fighting. You should be fighting your family – they sold you to the Wall for life all because of a stupid pact your ancestors made." He cast a dirty glance at Gustav's corpse. "Do you want to end up like him?"

Johnny's eyes fell on the corpse of his former friend. Gustav's body had turned pale. Once visible green veins were now a dark red. "What's happening to him... what did you do?" He took a step back, concerned.

"We call it Blood Magic. Mix some fresh blood with a dead's man blood and you can create an undead creature," Mystel replied casually, as if it were no big deal. "You don't need to be concerned, Johnny... he won't hurt us... your friends on the Wall however... might not be so lucky."

Johnny continued to stare at Gustav then shuddered, pulling his gaze away from the corpse. "I don't want to think about it." He shuddered again. "We should probably get those supplies." To Johnny's amazement, the camel remained still. It didn't even bolt when they advanced towards it. He suspected the blood magic ritual Mystel used had somehow made the camel stay in its place.

"At least the camel isn't running anywhere," Johnny mumbled.

Mystel grinned. "He won't be going anywhere for quite some time."

.

They didn't manage to cover a lot of ground when they were confronted by two hooded figures wearing black robes. Both of them were armed; two silver bastard swords were visible beneath their robes. Clearly, the two figures didn't plan on surprising their enemies with a sneak attack. "Would you look at this, Queen? Two helpless travellers lost in the desert," the figure on the right spoke his voice deep and laced with malicious intent.

"What do you say we kill them right here and steal their swords?" the female replied. She removed her hood, allowing Mystel to get a better look at her. Her skin was pale, almost as white as snow, a stark contrast to her dark hair and eyes. Her thin lips were as red as blood, and were curled in a malevolent sneer. "They don't look like too much trouble, King."

King also removed his hood. If they were siblings, Mystel couldn't tell. Unlike Queen, King was dark. He looked like he would fit right at home within the walls of Jabaq. His hair was the opposite of Queen as well; it was a shade of light grey. He removed his sword, and pointed the tip at his enemies. "Surrender now... and your death will be a quick one." He swung his sword. "What do you say?"

Mystel hardened his gaze. "Do you know who you are talking to?"

King threw back his head and laughed. "Names do not matter to us. We're only interested in the weapons you carry," he said, locking his predatory eyes on the blades hanging at their sides.

"My friend here is a warrior of the Wall; I'm sure you've heard of their expertise in battle."

Queen arched her brows. "A warrior from the mighty Wall? His weapons will be a great gift for our leader." Turning her head, she fixed her gaze on Mystel. "And what about you? You from the Wall, as well?"

Johnny withdrew his sword, as Mystel continued to talk. "Nope," he said, pulling out his own blade. "But enough talk, I'm sure you approached us to fight, not trade pleasantries." King and Queen didn't need any further encouragement. They both lunged.

Mystel clenched his jaw, tightening his grip on his sword waiting for the right moment to strike. He evaded the first blow, regained his footing, then spat in King's face before shoving him away. Enraged, King lunged. Expecting this, Mystel dodged and brought the flat side of his sword around and into the side of King's head.

"King!" Queen shouted.

King stumbled backwards, bringing his free hand to the bruise on his cheek. He glared at Mystel, then charged again. Mystel parried the blow and held his ground against King's own blade, before kicking at his shin. King yelled, jumped back and spat at the sand beneath his feet. "You may have some skill with a blade, but it's not enough to defeat me!" He held his blade above his head and gazed up at it, reciting an unknown incantation. "From the powers of the dark god, Ariel, please grant me your blessing to defeat this opponent." The sword began to glow, then burst into flames, causing a miniature shockwave.

"What sorcery is this?" Johnny shouted.

Mystel wasn't quite sure himself. He hadn't encountered magic like this before in his lifetime. Only necromancy was practiced in Jabaq. It was as if some unknown force was fuelling King's power. The Gods? But they didn't exist! This was something else. "Using magic to cheat, typical."

"Ariel will taste your flesh!" King screamed, lunging forward.

Mystel tried to leap out of the way, but King was far too quick. Somehow, Ariel had empowered King granting him inhumane abilities. King swung hard, his sword connecting with the steel of Mystel's own blade. The force behind the swing almost knocked Mystel over onto his backside, but somehow he managed to hold his ground.

"So the stories are true," Johnny gasped, stepping back. "I thought the tales about the Baphoment were untrue..."

"The Baphomet?" Mystel repeated, rolling away from another frenzied attack.

"I thought it was only a story mothers told their children," Johnny spoke softly, eyes transfixed by the flaming sword in King's hand. "The stories said there were a group of runaway mages who departed Qubo to form their own religion. With their magic, they created their own foul creature, a goat called Baphomet. They drained the animal of its power and drank its blood, giving them the ability to use the animals' power as if it were their own," he explained. "We thought the cultists were all dead – they were thought to have been slain by other mages."

Not the power of an unseen deity, but rather the result of mages having gone wild. King's power could not be matched with simple swords on their own. He needed more firepower of his own. He picked himself up from the sand, after evading another wild attack. "Your little display is quite impressive, but it won't save you. You're not the only one who knows magic, fool."

He preferred to fight without the aid of blood magic, but sometimes it was absolutely necessary. Barthaz had passed on some of his knowledge onto the soldiers of the inner circle, arming them with extra defence in case they were to ever find themselves in a dire situation. Unfortunately, using blood magic to fight had a drawback. It required a lot of energy to use and often left the user near death. With his blade, Mystel sliced the skin on his arm, drawing blood. He held out a palm towards King and spoke a few words.

King attempted to strike with his enhanced blade, but found himself unable to move. "What have you done to me?!" he demanded.

Queen gasped. "Blood magic." She cast a fleeting look of fear in Mystel's direction, then fell to her knees, her body trembling.

Tendrils of blood reached out towards King, then wrapped themselves around him squeezing him tight. The flame on his sword weakened, until it was no longer visible. A tendril entered through King's mouth, halting his tortured screams. Mystel focused his mind on sending forth the tendril down further towards his heart... sharp pain burst in his head, as his vision began to blur. He tightened his jaw, trying to focusing on completing the task, but he was losing energy fast. Only Barthaz had mastered the art of blood magic without losing energy. If only he could hold on for just a little longer...

It all fell apart when his world turned to black.

.

I love writing Mystel chapters, they're so much fun to write! Evil, but with a little bit of humour thrown in. As for Johnny, the truth is now out. It's something he hates being reminded of; Enrique and Oliver accepted their new lives, but Johnny always held resentment. Where will they go from here? Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


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